Completion

I am thankful to finish things. Hard work and focus isn't always fun. It's just what it is, hard work. It can be easy to get frustrated and negative in the midst of a long project or work session.

BUT

Tonight I celebrate the bright side of investing many hours...

Completion! 

Isn't there a sweet joy that comes with a job- done? And a job well done is even better, I suppose. ;)

I encourage you, today, to not give up. Finishing isn't easy but I think we usually remember how we finish and all that follows rather than how we first began.

So chin up, if you're not quite to the end...you will make it. Hold on. Don't give up or give in.

I'm encouraged, tonight, reading from Romans 3 on God's faithfulness. It says starting at verse 3 with "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all!"

When I am weak, He is strong.

When I am wrong, He is still right.

When I lack, He owns it all.

When I am sick, He is my healer.

When I am ready to quit, He quietly reminds me He's in my corner...all the way to completion. God is faithful. I choose to trust Him.

Farewell for now and don't forget, "chin up!" You're never alone.

Love
Grace

Short & Sweet

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
² In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to those he loves

-Psalm 127: 1-2

I've been thinking about this for a bit. 

Today I just want to say that I am thankful to God for His way of reminding me that it's not up to me to "make it all happen." I can rest easy. I can just sleep in peace, zero worry. Literally. 

Just bringing up some genuine THANKSGIVING for good ol' fashion sleep. I love to take naps and after a long day at work today, a lengthy one was just what the doctor ordered. ;)

"God, won't you whisper to the hearts of those reading this right now. May they be still and know you are present and near in this very moment. May they find rest in you, Jesus. Amen."

Rest easy folks,

Grace <3

Technically, its midnight, but to me its still Friday and this post counts in my 49 consecutive days of blogging. :) Jus' sayin!

....Sticking to having a positive mentality is a moment-by-moment choice. We choose what we will do with a negative thought. We have the liberty to choose to dwell upon, speak it out loud, share it with another, converse about it, act on it or complain about it. OR We we can take hold of the thought, at its immediate entrance and do something positive with it.

^{2 Corinthians 10:} 

³For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

If I could physically see that Jesus is here with me, in "my midst," in this room, in my work place, in my home...while a negative thought starts to process in my brain... What would I do with the thought in that moment? ...

Just thinkin' about that...

What would I do?...

Would I tell Jesus what I'm thinking about? 

Would I tell Him what I'm thinking and then ask Him to tell me what He thinks about it... 

I believe that's what He desires. Communication. Interaction. Because He is present. I've surrendered my life to Him and I believe His promise,

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. I'm pretty convinced that if I possess a negative thought and, instead of bringing it to the Holy Spirit, I began to ponder and worry and grow anxious, annoyed, disturbed in my spirit or upset with another in regards to the thought, I'm not winning the battle against negativity. Instead, I'm allowing this thought or emotion to dictate my mood and behavior, and quite possibly, those of others around me.

If I take captive my thought and begin to pray, "Lord, this is a real thought I'm experiencing, what do YOU say about it?" I believe truth is freeing. I believe the Spirit of Truth is living within me and when I abide in God's Word, truth, is more easily accessed heard within.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

I can turn to truth, and decide to align my thinking with truth instead of negativity. Even in a horrible situation, The Spirit of Truth can shed hope. 

Today I am thankful for my schedule. I have a good amount on my plate between a job and school and a few commitments here and there. At times, I'm overwhelmed. But today I want to thank God that I have free time in my weekly schedule to take care of my health, to relax, to spend time with people, to complete tasks with excellence, to study, to engage and to learn. 

Time is valuable. I can imagine there are lifestyles much busier than mine. I am thankful for the time at hand and the way that God allows me to plan and yet experience surprises, set-backs and delays even when I think I've penciled in every minute of the day. 

Come to think of it, life is really beautiful, huh...

Grace

A Season

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. 

I've been thinking on this verse from the Bible. Everything has its time, huh? Does God really care enough to put it in His Word- that I understand this nature of life called "seasons?" Why?... Why does God want me to know that "there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens?"

Perhaps it is there to bring peace of mind... To bring peace when there is an unsettlement in my wandering spirit and "ahead-of-the-game" thought-life...When there is a longing for something that is out of my reach, or out of my season.

Q: If I live my life in surrender to God, does it mean He will give me everything I need? 

According to Matthew chapter 6, I don't need to worry about food, drink, or what I'll wear...My Father knows what I need. He will take care of me.

A: So, yes.

At the end of Matthew 6, it says in verse 34, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

No anxiety and no concern for what's next?...Wow. Sounds like living present to me. I've struggled with that for some time in my life...in this season.

You see, in Ecclesiastes 3, where Solomon speaks of "a time for everything," he is speaking of a time; an appointed time that is set or designated. And a "season," is time of various lengths.

At the very end of Matthew where it says, "Each day has enough trouble of its own," a day is, simply, a day or a time of day or, simply, a period of time.

So, can I conclude from these passages- that there are appointed times in my life for certain happening to take place, for me to learn certain lessons, take particular actions, encounter designated people and situations and emotions and experiences...That these appointed times come in various lengths... Some seasons are lengthy and tough, some are short and sweet and every combinations in between... Can I conclude that I could prolong a season if I miss my appointments or complain my way away from learning a life-lesson? How does one stay on schedule or on track or focused on what's at hand in his/her season?...

Look, there I  go, trying to figure out how to best organize my season again... And right then I am reminded that each period of time has enough trouble of its own.

In the questioning and studying and praying, I am finding that in order to embrace and experience each season, I must not be worried about the next. All I am given is today. The season at hand is where I am living. If I am too worried about the next big decision or how that important milestone of my life will take place in the future, I can miss the appointments God has designated for me to live in NOW.

Today I left school campus at 1pm. Whew, I am loving my schedule for spring semester. :) No more 12 hour days on campus. I got a much more concise class schedule, thankfully. So, I left campus, hungry, ready for lunch...I messaged a new friend to see if she'd like to meet- she was unavailable. I met my Dad. I hadn't seen him for over a week. It was a real nice time together! :)

Today's positive thought and attitude is this: I love that God has given me this season, living back in the same city as my parents and sister. I spend a large majority of my time with my family. I could look at my season in the sense that I came back to a place where I have much fewer close-knit friendships than what I've had in the past. But instead I'm choosing the bright side. The truth is that I have been given this opportunity to spend significant time with my family. In the past year and a half, I have gotten to build memories, experiences, have conversations, and see healthy progress in my immediate family relationships. Who knows what my next season will hold. Who knows if I will ever again live in the same town as my family. Who knows how far off I am from starting my own branch of the family...This time, this season- is a gift. And I am so thankful that I can call up my dad, out of the blue, and drive ten minutes to meet him for lunch. I am thankful that my Dad is alive and well and our relationship is strong. It's a blessing to watch it progress as well, because it really is progressing.

I pray that my readers will be encouraged to enjoy and live in the season you're in, today. I believe God has something great in store for you. May your eyes, ears, heart and mind be at rest and present to fully receive the gifts of today.

Much love,
Grace

New

Ya know, I appreciate blogging because it has a much more "personal" feel for me. It's my own. I can take my time with each post. We all know there are numerous "social networking" outlets and opportunities today...Which, absolutely, has great advantages that, like most, I do enjoy. But sometimes having the access to share what you're doing, thinking, liking, wishing, whether it be with 160 characters or a picture or a comment, minute by minute, can become too much for me to keep up with or to keep genuine with.

 Here, I can write as much or as little as I want, process things I've been pondering for weeks, and feel no obligations as to when I will return to say more. I guess it sounds almost like a journal for me. In a sense, it is. But then I do enjoy those moments where the person I least expect tells me they read and enjoy the blog or the encouragement or stories from it. It's just different than counting "likes" on a post. It's a little bit more on the "hush"so I think there is less pressure for me to feel like I've gotta "give the people what they want." Ha. It's kinda silly.  Here its just me. If no one reads it, I still have my outlet. All's well. :)

So anyway...With that off my mind... I want to start something new today. I want to start practicing something I've decided to work on. That is- positivity.

I try to stay away form theming my blog, because, again, it's just "today," and every day is different. But for the next 49 I want to use my blog as an outlet for POSITIVE THINKING, PRAISING, REJOICING, ADMIRING, UPLIFTING, AND ENJOYING. I want to let loose the positive thoughts and actions and watch how this changes my life and that around me.

I had a dream this week. It wasn't my favorite dream :/... It was quite intense but the dream illustrated something for me. Better yet, God, spoke to me, through the dream. He didn't exactly speak to me in conversational speaking, rather, He began to push my heart and mind toward a direction and open my eyes to something the next morning. This something is quite vital in my walk today and everyday. It's my attitude. It's my thinking. It's my words. It's the "meditations of my heart."

One of my most favorite passages in the Bible:

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

God's been instilling in me this urgency to rid myself of negativity. It's not of Him. It's not edifying or strengthening or good. So if it is none of these... Then what is negativity? And what is the root of negativity? Doesn't all fruit in our lives have a root? I'm uprooting negativity. And I am covering this garden with seeds of praise. With positive experiences, outlooks, words, thoughts, meditations and doings. And I'm ready to see change.

Happy New Year.
Let's go and be free of the roots that hold us back from growing up.
Strength to you today!

Grace

My one desire tonight

I want God.

Tonight, I am so unsatisfied with my far off heart. I do not yearn for independence but yet greater reliance upon you and your strength. I want to be genuinely overwhelmed by the presence of the Almighty God. You are better than life. I know you are here with me... But its a fresh encounter that I need. I want the blessing of greater intimacy with you, Jesus. THAT IS WHAT I WANT> YOU ARE WHAT I WANT!!!!!!!!!!!! Drawing near to you. Nearer than before.

"Are We There Yet?..."

Children seem to long to arrive. They long for their excitement and anticipation to be fulfilled with meeting their destination. 

I think back to when I was a child...always forced to sit in the dreaded "middle seat" of the back. As the youngest and smallest I held no say in whether or not I'd be sandwiched between my two older siblings. I'd often straaain to lean forward, from the waist up, as far as my seatbelt permitted, just so I could have some extra room and maybe hear what my parents were chatting about up front. 

It's funny how as you grow up and you think back on childhood experiences, you figure out what was reeeally going. lol... 

Ya see, growing up, my family did not have an abundance of money... No pity though...my parents did a wonderful job raising my siblings and me without a reliance on money to have a good time. This meant frequent trips to the library during the day, free neighborhood day-camps, scavenger hunts, kickball in the backyard and dress-up (in all mom's clothes) birthday parties... not to mention one of my most fond memories--> "MAGICAL MYSTERY TOURS!!!" 

Whaaaat? Yes, Magical Mystery Tours... NOT just the name of an old hit Beatles album. ;) Often times on a weekend my parents would load us all up in the car and we'd go for a long drive. Destination??... It was a mystery! This was quite exciting to our imaginative little minds as we'd ponder where in the world we might soon find ourselves! Often times there were guessing games started, giggles, and high hopes built up but when the questions were posed of just where we were headed the answer was always, "Just wait til' we get there, enjoy the ride...it's a magical mystery tour!" 

I can still go right back to that very feeling of excitement and mystery my parents set up for me. :)

I laugh now because I really think my parents had no clue where they were heading half the time. Hahaha.. We'd just drive for a while... Sometimes we'd wind up at a huge furniture store and look around for hours... (That was one of my favorites! Strange, I know.) Other times we'd get soft-serve ice-cream, visit family friends, or go to a big empty parking lot and practice driving the car (or steering the wheel on dad's lap, in my case.)

Anyways... I tell of this pastime because today I am pondering the content of Philippians 3. There's a lot to look at in this chapter but I want to highlight verse 13:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

When I read these verses I hear the heart of a man who wants so very much to be lost in His Savior. To be all about and all for Christ. He has counted the cost... He's all in for God! 

Is that where I'm at? Have I committed to a sorta-kinda desire to know my Maker or am I wildly abandoning all to be found living in Him..?

Paul knows where his heart is at. And he admits that HE HAS NOT YET ARRIVED on this journey ... Recall: ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I can’t consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don’t look back, I lengthen my stride, and ¹⁴ I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.¹⁵ Whoever has a mature faith should think this way. And if you think differently, God will show you how to think. ¹⁶ However, we should be guided by what we have learned so far. (God's Word Version)

I used to think one day I'd arrive and have it all together. I'd be a "complete Christian," a good one,  a mature one... the whole package! THEN I'd be ready to serve and disciple for Jesus! But days like this one, I remember an important lesson, kinda like the one my parents taught during the "Magical Mystery Tours..." It's often about the journey. Maturity is in acknowledging that in the day to day journey of life, I must forget whats been accomplished or tripped up on in the past and strain toward what lies ahead. I have already failed some, fallen down, won battles, cut important corners... I've grown weary, I've forgotten where my strength comes from, and I've forgotten that I'm even heading anywhere some days...

But today I ponder this magical mystery tour, life, and I realize that although I don't know all the pit stops or when the end of this part will come...destination is face to face with my Maker and I want live a life aware and awake to this! I want to run towards this...I want to run towards God. 

Don't you think it'll all be worth it? I do.

May you run with assurance today that others have gone before you and many are cheering for you! There is great destination of all worth and you're not alone in getting there.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

³⁰ 

Even youths will become weak and tired,and young men will fall in exhaustion.

³¹ 

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31