I know what you're thinking about the title of this one: so original, right? Well, I did not know what else to call it. There are so many things relating to our happiness these days, it's so crazy. Our home life, our love life, our friends and our jobs. It's all what makes up our life and ultimately, it determines how happy we are. At least, people let it determine how happy they are. What I have realized, is that some people around me are just intensely negative about almost everything. It makes me wonder why they are so unhappy. Is their home life really just that bad? How jealous of everyone else do you have to be to honestly hate your life that much? It is something I go through life everyday feeling curious about. I want to know more about that person and figure out what I can do to make them happier.
It makes me really sad to see people around me in such a hard place in their lives. I am a naturally happy person and with some recent things going on, I have come to realize what unhappiness can feel like and that sense of negativity has even come out in me a little bit when I am having a bad day.
Like I talked about in my last post, God's plan for us is much higher than what we could ever dream of ourselves. This is not about us and what we don't have. This is about us and what we do have, what GOD has blessed us with. This is about everything he has done for us and everything he is going to do for us.
If girls (and guys) slowed down for a minute to take a look at all of the blessings in their lives, the world would be a spinning rock of positivity in space. Happiness is something that is purely self-inflicted, it is something we must not only strive to have, we must embrace it and become it. True happiness is shown by being a beacon of God's light and love. By spreading your joy and what he was and is and is to be, is all it takes.
I understand having your world fall apart around you. It has happened to me, trust me. We have all had our fair shares of tragedy in our lives. But the minute you stop waiting for things to get better and start making the best of the cruddy situation you're in, your life will instantly change for the better.
So...NO MORE COMPLAINING! NO MORE BOOHOOING! and, STOP BEING JEALOUS.
Just be you, through and through. You are a princess to everyone who loves you and a role model to those who see you pick yourself up when all hope is lost. God loves you, listen to him and you may hear happiness calling.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
He's there for a reason
So I know I haven't posted in a while but lately I've been realizing things in my life that I want to share with you! Today I want to talk about how we live our lives and who is in control.
Job 11:13 (NLT) says this: "Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer."
I think a lot of times in the modern world we live in we tend to lose sight of our role in our own lives. We see what we want and we do whatever we can to make sure we get it. Even if that means putting God's plan out of the picture completely. What we don't understand most of the time is that the plan God has for us doesn't even compare to what we think we want. To get the full of effect of our Lord and his plan for us, we must surrender every aspect of our lives to him, and he will take care of the rest. This means giving him all the good things we want to control, and giving him the pain and weakness in our lives.
A pastor explained it to me like this once: When we worship, we spread our hands open to show our full surrender to God. But some people have their fists clenched tightly, not letting anything go. Some people have their hands half way open, but that is no better than clenching a fist. Giving everything to God is the only way to go.
There are three main things that we choose to control which distance us from God's vision.
1. Getting the material things we want
2. Deciding which relationships are best for us
3. Who/What Idols we worship
I'm not saying it's a bad thing to work towards buying a new car or working harder to get a raise at your job. Those things are actually very positive. However, when it comes to getting what you want, do you want it for the right reason? Are you doing the right, honest things to get there? And did God lead you to this? Is he approving and encouraging of your decision? When it's in God's plan for you to be somewhere or doing something, an incredible feeling will overcome you and you will know.
Being in high school, I understand that relationships betweens friends or couples can fall apart in a heartbeat. Maybe it was not God's will for you to be friends with certain people or be in a certain relationship. Or maybe you and a friend or you and your boyfriend don't understand how much you truly mean to each other, so you fall apart and God wants you to reconnect again. He does things in a wierd way sometimes but the result is never short of amazing.
I just recently went through a test of a friendship when I heard things about a friend who was trying to sabotage another relationship I have. It helped me realize where God wanted me to be and who he wanted me around.
When it comes to worshipping God, we know that there is only one of him. He does what is best for us and sent his son to die just so we could be saved! It still amazes me every time I think about it. Naturally, we should repay him by following him daily and doing what he asks of us in his word. But again, being in the modern world we're in, we tend to pay more attention to who we follow on Twitter than who we follow in our faith. Sure, it's impressive that you know everything about every single One Direction member, but do you spend as much time learning about God and his love for his followers as much as you do your favorite band or TV star? We have to step back and put our priorities in order everyday. Spend time with God when you wake up and before you go to bed. Listen to Justin Bieber's new song after you've connected with the man who saved you. Turn to him throughout the day with prayers and praises, it's the least you can do for the big guy who holds the pen to the story of your life.
Job 11:13 (NLT) says this: "Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer."
I think a lot of times in the modern world we live in we tend to lose sight of our role in our own lives. We see what we want and we do whatever we can to make sure we get it. Even if that means putting God's plan out of the picture completely. What we don't understand most of the time is that the plan God has for us doesn't even compare to what we think we want. To get the full of effect of our Lord and his plan for us, we must surrender every aspect of our lives to him, and he will take care of the rest. This means giving him all the good things we want to control, and giving him the pain and weakness in our lives.
A pastor explained it to me like this once: When we worship, we spread our hands open to show our full surrender to God. But some people have their fists clenched tightly, not letting anything go. Some people have their hands half way open, but that is no better than clenching a fist. Giving everything to God is the only way to go.
There are three main things that we choose to control which distance us from God's vision.
1. Getting the material things we want
2. Deciding which relationships are best for us
3. Who/What Idols we worship
I'm not saying it's a bad thing to work towards buying a new car or working harder to get a raise at your job. Those things are actually very positive. However, when it comes to getting what you want, do you want it for the right reason? Are you doing the right, honest things to get there? And did God lead you to this? Is he approving and encouraging of your decision? When it's in God's plan for you to be somewhere or doing something, an incredible feeling will overcome you and you will know.
Being in high school, I understand that relationships betweens friends or couples can fall apart in a heartbeat. Maybe it was not God's will for you to be friends with certain people or be in a certain relationship. Or maybe you and a friend or you and your boyfriend don't understand how much you truly mean to each other, so you fall apart and God wants you to reconnect again. He does things in a wierd way sometimes but the result is never short of amazing.
I just recently went through a test of a friendship when I heard things about a friend who was trying to sabotage another relationship I have. It helped me realize where God wanted me to be and who he wanted me around.
When it comes to worshipping God, we know that there is only one of him. He does what is best for us and sent his son to die just so we could be saved! It still amazes me every time I think about it. Naturally, we should repay him by following him daily and doing what he asks of us in his word. But again, being in the modern world we're in, we tend to pay more attention to who we follow on Twitter than who we follow in our faith. Sure, it's impressive that you know everything about every single One Direction member, but do you spend as much time learning about God and his love for his followers as much as you do your favorite band or TV star? We have to step back and put our priorities in order everyday. Spend time with God when you wake up and before you go to bed. Listen to Justin Bieber's new song after you've connected with the man who saved you. Turn to him throughout the day with prayers and praises, it's the least you can do for the big guy who holds the pen to the story of your life.
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