this is such an incredible beautiful passage. i think it's easy to skim over without actually reading it. but when you read it, you discover that it pretty much sums up the journey of life in 4 simple words: suffering, perseverance, character, hope. i think these are the missing puzzle pieces to what has me stumped: how can suffering people hope? i still don't totally get it, but it makes more sense now.
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
-Romans 5:1-4
i think i'm re-learning how to hope. how to love. how to find beauty in the unexpected places. how to trust God even when you don't feel like it. how to be happy when you don't feel like it. how to be content even when you're not getting what you want. how to take courage and move on.
all because God has poured out his love into my heart.
God doesn't always answer our prayers in the way we expect. He doesn't always give us solutions like we want. sometimes all He gives us is a little bit of perseverance. a little bit of perseverance in those days when you believe life is hopeless.
why is it that it is so hard? to love people as you should? to be selfless and sincere?
Love must be sincere.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
It's funny when you think you know something and understand it just to be quickly told you don't But in a kind a gentle way Hope is so beautiful. Who wants to live if there is no hope? No hope for rescue That sounds so tragic Oh but when one has hope You hear it in their voice It echoes through your being Joy and faith are two different things But it's so amazing when they meet together Sorry this is really vague I'll elaborate more later.
oh what peace we often forfeit
oh what needless pain we bear
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer
I was driving home tonight from babysitting and saw something extremely beautiful.
and I just stopped, and sat there at the stop sign, and was in awe.
My God, beautifully decorated creation to magnify himself, and in the process drawing us to Him, it was so beautiful. I felt like I was invited to a dinner party for two, and it was all made just for me. It was beautiful, beyond words, beautiful. So I sat there, and took it all in.
I've been thinking lately about how life changes so fast. How did we get to this point? It wasn't always like this...
I miss a lot of things. I'm not sure what I'm even looking forward to any more. That sounds sad and pathetic, but I don't mean it that way. But I don't want to start the next part of my life. Because just as much as people tell me I'll like it, I can't get myself to believe it. I feel stuck.
Don't take this as a pathetic rant because I have nothing do to with myself. Please don't. It is just this odd feeling, and maybe I want to admit that I like it, or maybe I don't.
ha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Exposed beyond the shadows
You take the cup from me
Your dirt removes my blindness
Your pain becomes my peace"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm speechless, literally speechless.
& that doesn't do much when you try to write on a blog now does it?
I'm not angry, I'm not happy, and I'm certainly not content, but then maybe I am slightly happy. Can you be happy when you feel that you were treated wrongly? I don't know, I didn't think so, but now I am wondering if it is possible.
1 Exam left, 24 hrs and I will be free.
it's funny how something so little, can encourage so much, and so many people.
forever
generations will hear of what you have done for me
and I will never
never.
cease to praise you
for even in the valley you are with me
and at the peek your voice still echoes through my inmost being
I will praise you
for I am
intimately and wonderfully made
Marvelous are your Works
my soul knows them full well
and when the quietness of the night swoops in, I see your handiworks by the steady beat of my heart.
and when my body fails
I will hear your call and see you enthroned in the majesty's
holy, holy, holy
are you My God almighty
and with all I am
I fall out your feet
and proclaim
even in the stillness you were with me
you guided my steps
you gave me strength to overcome in hard times
and you power was manifested in my utmost weakness
there is not one like you Oh holy God
let my heart never wander from your constant truths
let my memory never cease to fail to remind me of you marvelous deeds
for you are the one that brought me out of my slavery
into your marvelous light
day after day I will recount your marvelous deeds
day after day
let me proclaim to the nations,
My God how great you are.
if you ever here me complain about my circumstances will you go ahead and thwap me in the head.
yes i said thwap, and yes i mean that.
i had no clue.
please don't try to read anything into this, because I don't really think there is anything to read into
Don’t you hate when things don’t work out?
Don’t you hate when you think you’ve finally got it figured out and then your heart lets you know that you don’t?
Don’t you hate when denial is thrown in your face?
Don’t you hate when you’re finally over that and then you find this?
Don’t you hate when you just don’t get why?
Don’t you hate how confused you are even when you say you’re not?
Don’t you hate when you say the wrong thing?
Don’t you hate that you ruined it the first time?
Don’t you hate when you want to say something so badly but you know you can’t?
Don’t you hate how it’s happened before?
Don’t you hate that mirror sometimes?
Don’t you hate how easy it is to give up?
Don’t you?
There are days when I’m in love with people and then there are days when I wonder why anyone would be in love with me.
Contributors
- Lauren
- “If the praise of others elates me, or if the blame of others depresses me, then I know nothing of Calvarys love.” –Amy Carmichael