Give Thanks In All Things

Life has definitely thrown me a few curve balls this year. There have been moments of complete happiness, of overwhelming fear, strong faith, and intense hurt. God is good though. Circumstances have changed, so have plans. It's been said that "man makes plans and God laughs", but I don't think that is entirely true. I think God, being GOD, just knows better than we do. He knows the beginning from the end, and everything that will happen in between, so when we pray and trust and petition him for a certain thing and we don't get it....it just means he has a better, wiser plan. It's hard to believe that at times, in the midst of hurts and confusion, but it's not always for us to know and not always for us to know right now what God is doing in our lives. That's where our faith must come in, we have to trust just as Romans 8:28 says "all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose." So is it easy what I've been going through...well no. But honestly, I wouldn't trade it, because it has drawn me closer to God and has made me a stronger, better person. I'm reminded of the verse in Phillipians about not worrying or being anxious about anything, but presenting our requests to God....with thanksgiving. Meaning that even when we are at the end of our rope, we need to thank God for his blessings: for saving us, for loving us, for giving us every blessing Heaven has to offer. Also for our other blessings, our families, friends, our belongings, our health. Even when we don't have the latter..we will always have our Heavenly Father, and He promises to bless us.

Difficult Times

I was watching on the news today about the new plan to get our country out of debt, and how taxpayers will bear the brunt of this. It makes my angry to think that the people we elect into office to care for our country and manage things are irresponsible with our money and then we have to pay to fix things. It makes me angry that just when I am trying to start out my life that I am going to pay extra because of mistakes made by another. My family is not wealthy, we have lived paycheck to paycheck for as long as I can remember. I don't have money saved for college, I'm depending entirely on whatever I will be able to get out of the FAFSA. I'm not saying this to get sympathy, it's just that this so-called solution is not going solve anything except to put more burden on the American Family. It's so easy to worry about this, I am tempted to almost every day, but I have to remember what God says about our needs: He will always provide. We just have to trust Him. We need to keep our country, this election and our finances in prayers each day and trust God to take care of these things.

In Memory

In memory of Mary Stewart. Thank you for your encouragement and for believing in a young girl. You will not be forgotten.

The power of a Word

Ever since I was a kid I have loved to write. I used to write on anything...notebook paper, tablets, paper napkins....and ahem, the occasional wall or piece of furniture. Thankfully, in spite of my "creations" on the latter, my mom always encouraged me to write. In those short stories and school papers, some of which were written kicking and screaming, she saw talent. Whether that talent was actually there or not, it lifted my spirits to see her smile and receive her praise. Writing and reading I believe, go hand in hand, and I am also a voracious reader. My mom first introduced me to this wonderful old building where anyone with a special green and white card could borrow any amount of books at any time...well, at least between the hours of nine and five. I remember my favorite librarian, Mrs. Stewart, with her dark hair, large glasses, and friendly smile, leading me along row after row of books..it seemed endless. Of course, now, I know our town's library is rather small, but I wouldn't trade it for the world simply because of it's coziness and familiarity. Mrs. Stewart used to recommend books to me that she knew I would enjoy and when she found that I liked to write,she encouraged me to become an author. Between a mom that saw talent and a small-town librarian that believed in me, I was encouraged and felt that if I truly wanted to become an author someday...it was possible. For the kid who always felt like a klutz and that many doors were closed to her, I felt empowered... yes,I could actually be good at something! Ever since, writing is something that I have never stopped doing. I have kept journals since I was nine years old, written short stories, tons of letters, and even came up with a few ideas for books. Talent though, is not really the issue. Anyone can write. You may not be the next C.S.Lewis or Jane Austen, but a letter to a soldier may change his or her day...or life. There is so much power in the written word that is often taken for granted. It was once said that "you will be the same person tomorrow as you were today, except for the books you read and the people that influence you". How true. Words have the power to encourage and inspire, to educate and enlighten, or to hurt and cause despair. Written word is powerful.