Hello Again

The reason that I haven't been on this blog much lately is that I have been struggling to form words. Emotions have been overwhelming and trying to even find words for that is hard.

Something I have realised though, is that even when it feels like we're the only ones feeling a certain way, we really aren't. I have discovered many people recently that can relate to my sometimes strange feelings. The ones that are there for a reason and the ones don't make sense.

It seemed like I had nothing to say. I wasn't sure how I could help anyone through my words. I have been thinking a lot about what my purpose is here. I know that God has created us to know Him and worship Him, to tell others about Him and to help those around us. That is the simple answer, and it sufficed for years, but for a while it didn't seem like enough. I wanted to know what I was supposed to be doing. Where I was meant to be.

I think what started these thoughts was that there was a chance I was going to move. I discovered a program that combined many of my passions and desires. I was looking at joining a Discipleship Training School that ministered to people through the arts. I love the creative side of things and the way that the arts can speak to people.

I was very excited for this new place, new community, new opportunities. But it was taking a long time to get a reply on whether I was accepted into the program or not and that was stressful as it was getting to a few weeks before I would need to leave and I didn't know whether I was going or staying. I don't like uncertainty. I like to have plans for the bigger things and I like knowing what I am meant to be doing. There was also some miscommunication and things were getting delayed until there wasn't really enough time to sort everything out. Because of this I asked if my application could be postponed to the next year.

But there have been some good things that have happened through my staying. I am also learning yet again to trust God, with every section of my life. He knows what I need and when I need it. He is always there even when I can't see His hand directly and wonder what is happening. He has provided me with good friends, a supportive family and sparking ideas.

I have also realised something recently that I think will help me to not stress so much over things. It's something that people have said to me many times before, but as someone said last night at com (bible study), it is often needed for you to have a realisation of something yourself for it really to make a difference.

In a sense, stressing about things is focusing more on what could go wrong instead of keeping my focus on God. I know that He has me, so why do I worry so much? It's hard to put this into practice but I am going to try!

So, I am staying in place for now, but I am excited. It feels like things are coming together and I have plans. It is exciting :)

~~~ On a side note, I ordered a new camera today. I am very excited!!!! ~~~

Love - How Are We Doing?

Have you noticed a theme recently? The last few posts have been about love. I didn't even notice this at first. I feel like I have been learning a lot of stuff and have been writing about it, and it all comes back to love. That makes sense though. That is basically the theme of the whole bible, and that is what God is, so it makes sense that so much rotates around it.

Okay, on we go to today's post and big question:

How well are we doing at loving God?

I don't mean that in a scale of 1 to ten, am I doing better than you or any competitive sort of way. So written in better words:

How much do you love God?

Is He most important to you? Is He first in your life? Do you love Him more than anyone or anything?

Francis Chan said something like this in the book Crazy Love: We need God's help to love Him more.  (I couldn't find the exact quote, but that is gist of it)

Honestly though, I don't act like I love God very much some days and I don't like it. I'm sure I'm not the only one though, so let's do something about this! Because I know that it's just not me. And yes, it does take time to fall in love with someone, but let's keep our eyes fixed on Him and ask Him to change our desires so that He is our greatest desire. Not with a lazy passivity, but actually make a decision that even when we don't feel like it, even when our attitudes and feelings don't reflect Him, that we consciously chose to still pursue Him and what He wants.

And as that quote illustrates, He can help us with that, but it requires effort on our part too.

Don't Love To Be Loved

I like clothes with words on them. I like the extra expression it gives, but it all depends on what the words are. A few weeks ago I was walking trough the mall with a friend and saw a lady wearing a t-shirt that said:

Love to be loved

I guess there are two ways to take this saying. 

I love being loved, because it does feel good. It is awesome to have those around us that love us and also to have an amazing God that loves us so much.

Or it could mean Love others to get love. That is not a good sentiment and is not biblical at all. If we just look at the example we have been given, even from one of the most shared bible verses, John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus died for us when we were still sinners and not at all loving towards Him. It is an unconditional love in the purest sense, because even if we don't ever choose to love God He's already done so much for us! Even giving you life and free will is an amazing act of love, even if you don't agree. 

So my challenge is to love those that are hard to love. To show love to even those that won't ever give you the love back, because aren't we wanting to become more like Jesus? Aren't we wanting to show love to those around us even though it isn't always pleasant? You won't necessarily ever know what that love shown will mean to someone that hasn't experienced much love. I think that love can soften many world hardened hearts. To someone that has always been roughly dealt with by the world, someone showing them undeserved love won't make sense and will make them question what makes you different. 

And that could be an amazing opportunity to introduce them to our God :) 

Adventure Is Out There!

                                   

Let's go on an adventure!

One of my favourite sentences; and I have had many of them. From cliff jumping to travelling, performing to filming and driving fun vehicles, the unexpected ones like getting stuck in the mud, or the unconventional ones like walking through the drive-thru. I love them.

One of the best parts of an adventure is those you get to share it with. It's lovely to look back on those memories and reminisce or laugh with friends.

But I find myself caught in the mundane. Not every day holds an adrenaline rush and not every day looks exciting. Sometimes it's the same routine, the same tasks and even the enjoyable ones lose their fervour. Yet hidden in the ordinary moments of like there are some that spark. There are still amazing exciting things if we were just to look.

 "An adventurous life does not necessarily mean climbing mountains, swimming with sharks or jumping off cliffs. It means risking yourself by leaving a little piece of you behind in all those you meet along the way." - Shawna Grapentin

This is one of my favourite quotes. Maybe we can't spend every moment falling out of airplanes or hiking kilimanjaro, but that doesn't mean our lives are devoid of adventure.
Let's take a look at this word I am fond of.

Adventure

1) a: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks
b: the encountering of risks 

2) a: an exciting or remarkable experience

An undertaking involving danger and unknown risks. Is that not what it is to love someone, to get to know someone, or even to start a conversation? You never know what is going to happen. You don't know how much you will affect them nor how much their lives will affect you. That friend that now knows you so well that if the friendship were to end it would hurt, was once a stranger, a person you met one day and decided that you want this person to be in your life, to know you.

As C.S Lewis says: "To love is to be vulnerable". We can open ourselves up to people as a friend, a mentor, someone showing kindness and you never know whether your lives might end up irrevocable woven.

It is a risk to love others. It is a risk to be open and it can be a remarkable experience to take the time to talk to someone, a person that you might otherwise never know.

And even apart from the people whose lives touch ours, there is beauty everywhere, in the sunset, the raindrops, the ordinary miracles of flowers blooming, the seasons changing. There is beauty in this mess of a place.

There are many exciting, inspiring adventures all around us that we often fail to see. Little moments of adventure, those exciting and remarkable experiences. Even a circumstance that seems bad at first can be an adventure if you look at it right.

I am wanting to look on the world with new eyes, in a way that sees the possibilities instead of fear, the amazing awe-striking moments instead of the dull monotony of life, because why should it be? And so I embark, on my daily adventure.

#mydailyadventure