I dare you...

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I have a good friend who also happens to be a licensed counselor.  She is blessed with the gift of truly speaking her mind and I love that about her, but it can be a bit scary sometimes.  I'll never forget the first time she came into my office.  I personally painted most of the artwork in the room because I wanted to make it my own creative outlet.  I do spend countless hours in there creating.

Being quite the artist herself she took the time to admire my work.  Her first comment was, "Oh, this piece is quite dark."

Can you imagine what's going through my mind?  "What does she mean by that?  Is that a good thing?  Does this painting reveal some negative secret about my personality that I don't even know?"

I didn't think the piece was dark.  I actually saw it--felt it--as warm.  In reflection, I might agree with her.  Instantly our mind thinks of dark as ugly.  But is it really?  Or is it in the dark times, in those times of intense trial, when the most beautiful artwork, melodies, lyrics, rhymes, sentences flow from the deepest cisterns of our hearts.

This is a hard lesson to learn.  To believe that their is beauty is pain and to believe that the pain will make us better.

I think that revelation will only happen when we choose to be thankful in the hard times.  I believe that revelation only dawns on our tired, cold hearts when we become thankful in the pain.

Last Saturday I was confronted with this message again during a women's Bible study.  Honestly, it caught me by surprise.  I came to "work" for my mom, but found myself enveloped in the teaching.

We watched this video from Ann Voskamp.  As I watched the video I immediately recognized Ann from a blog I read called A Holy Experience.  As I was watching this I was absolutely confronted with the beauty...with the joy...that comes from pain.  The book is called One Thousand Gifts.  And I've decided to take the challenge.  A challenge that should bring great change and definitely reflection.  A challenge to find 1,000 things, people, life experiences that I'm thankful for.

• I'm thankful for long beautiful walks where the sun lights the path.
• I'm thankful for colors that completely express all emotions.
• I'm thankful for smells as they overwhelm me taking me back to moments, good and bad, that have shaped my life.
• I'm thankful for coffee.  It makes me happy.
• I'm thankful for my mind because even though it's complicated and difficult and misunderstood most of the time, it's still mine.
• I'm thankful for my parents--for their silent and not so silent love, support and strength.
• I'm thankful for bad times because in all their difficulties they help me remember the good.
• I'm thankful to be in a community where there is love and respect.  Perfect?  No, but still a home.
• I'm thankful for the majesty of the ocean.  It's overwhelming and simple as the tide sweeps in and pulls out. Its gravity pulls me to its shore almost begging me to find life in the waves.
• I'm thankful for flying cardinal birds because they remind me of my great-grandfather and the legacy I have to live to.
• I'm thankful that God cares and loves me so deeply that He has written me on the palm of His hand as a constant reminder.

So that was my first day.  I'm sure there will be many more.  And really what a great time to stop and be thankful and to give to praise to whom it is do:  Jesus, the giver of life and the sustainer of my faith.

I've already asked you, Friend, what you are thankful for.  (here)  Many answered, but I think the challenge here is more than just a simple "I'm thankful for..."

The challenge is live a life of gratitude, thankful for the hardships, and choosing joy in pain.  It's definitely difficult, but so much more rewarding than staying in the meer of this nasty, hard life.  And believe me, life will be hard.  It takes work.

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A New Journey

I've decided to take a journey.  This journey will have to be a day by day commitment for me.  Over the course of the next few weeks, I'm committing to try the vegetarian lifestyle.

I'm not even considering veganism yet and perhaps never.

Here's what I am committing too eating...or not eating.

For the next week I will not eat......chicken
                                                 ......beef
                                                 ......lamb
                                                 ......turkey
                                                 ......crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobster)
                                                 ......or any other meat

I will still eat...................................eggs
                    ...................................fish
                    ...................................butter
                    ...................................cheese

I plan on sharing my dietarian eating habits with you, my readers, as a way to hold me accountable.  Also, if you have an recipes I would love for you to send them my way.  (I really like this recipe from one of my sponsors "Happy in Life, Young in Love."  It's a Black Bean Burger.  Yum.)

I really believe this is going to be fun and I would love to hear your journey about eating or any other lifestyle change.

What's a lifestyle change you're working on?

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No Sermon Needed

Sometimes we forget that God's Word is God's word.  He inspired it.  It's directly God breathed for our encouragement, teaching, correction, and comfort.  To try and add something to make His Word more clear is kinda...well...arrogant.

In recent weeks I've felt like I've been in a cloud partly because it's insane in my life right now, partly because it's blistering hot outside, and partly because of some emotional grief that I'm working through.  But in spite of the insanity in my life, I'm standing on the promise of these next verses and believing that as I trust God He will make me more than a conqueror.

I hope they encourage you.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that our faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1: 6,7

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.  Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.  This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be save--and that by God.

Philippians 1:27,28

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

Philippians 4: 6,7

The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15: 4

The Lord detests men of perverse heart but He delights in those whose ways are blameless.

Proverbs 11: 20

But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Psalm 73: 28

You might also want to check out Psalm 1, Psalm 119, Proverbs 3: 5,6, Psalm 27, Psalm 35 just to share a few.  Ultimately, we have to remember to take into authority every idle thought that exalts itself above the knowledge of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).  I am a daughter of God through Christ Jesus.  I am a joint heir through Christ Jesus.  I am victorious through Christ Jesus.  I have power through Christ Jesus.

Have a wonderful week finding and declaring who you are in Christ!

All Scriptures taken from the New International Version

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I'm talking to you

Aren't there so many things that you would love to tell a younger you.  I've made a list of a few of mine.

1. Play a sport even though you're really, really bad at them.
2. Almost never get a credit card.  
3. Don't wear dresses/skirts to school everyday while in the 8th & 9th grade and don't use the excuse that they're comfortable. You are killing your social life.
4. Don't start drinking diet coke.  You will be an addict for life.
5. Choose good friends who are going places and make the sacrifices to stay in contact with them.
6. Alway, always value friendship and apologize as soon as possible when you mess up (because you will mess up.)
7. Alway pay attention to what you wear and how you look.  Wrong or right other people pay attention.
8. Do what you love not what you like.
9. Never kiss boys...only men.
10. Only buy nice purses and nice shoes.  Your feet won't hurt and your purses will last longer.
11. Spend more time with your grandparents and write down every story
12. Allow more godly mentors in your life.

I would have to say that #2, #10 & #11 would probably be the ones that are the most important.  So let's share.  What's one thing you would tell your younger self if you could?

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Life Begins, Life Ends

Life is such an interesting adventure...a journey to find God in life and live completely abandoned to His divine will.  You can live life to the absolute fullest and still find, at the end, that you have only begun to touch the edges of the vastness of God's glory and plan.  For me, this past week has been filled with glimpses of milestones in this journey...

a baby shower

a friend in the hospital due to a stroke

another friend being lead away from life to heaven

engagement of friends

reconnecting with a friend from college just to discuss our adventures

...not all joyous, but all adventures in life...all milestones of the journey to become like Christ and to bring Him glory.

All these things so remind me of Soloman's writings in Ecclesiastes.  Of course, we have all heard tell of the famous passage at the beginning of chapter 3, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven," but ultimately this book really says so much more to the meaning of life.

In our search for significance we must realize that the whole of our adventure--our life--is to bring glory to God.  And in bring glory to God...restoring His dominion on the earth...being carriers of His presence and justice and mercy and grace...we actually bring Him the ultimate supreme worship that no other creature can bring Him.

Today I would like to leave you with these words from Soloman.  His advice to the young (and I'm holding on to that word while I can) is this, Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl in broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well.  Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."  In other words, before you die, and your adventure is over, remember who the your creator is and glorify Him.

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