Positive Living: Embracing the Full Abundant Life God Has Granted Us

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 (ESV)

     Positive living...what does this practice mean to you? Having a good attitude? Not complaining? Always looking on the bright side of life? Relying on hope? Thinking of the best possible outcome in a tough situation instead of thinking the worst? What about when you ponder the idea of a full and abundant life...what ideas come to mind?  Living in the moment. Dreaming big? Trying new things? Living "out loud?" Being adventurous? Embracing every new day? These all might sound cliché, but they are a pretty good start in the right direction when considering what it means to live positively and embrace the full and abundant life God has granted us. Life is such a precious gift. Knowing this fact, it is important that we live our lives to the fullest, and most importantly...live a life that is glorifying to God. In my opinion, this means not wasting time stressing, complaining, and worrying so much. (If you've read my other blog posts...you know this is something I talk about often.) Instead I believe we should cherish moments more...love others and show them we care...have fun and laugh at ourselves! Ultimately, we need to live in such a way that people who are not Christians can look at us and see the difference Christ has made in our lives. When we are joyful despite painful circumstances, hopeful regardless of uncertainty, and loving towards others even if they are not the easiest people to love or may not always show love to us in return, the world will notice that we have something special. That special something is Christ in us, for us, and working through us. Therefore, we should look for ways to be a light to others by allowing God to shine through us into the darkness of this world. That is what I consider living positively and embracing the full abundant life God has granted us.

{Okay, so that's my short and sweet little spiel. Now, I'm going to have a little fun by giving ya'll something funny to watch that goes along with this topic, plus a pretty cool little list of tips for living a more positive, abundant life. Enjoy!}

Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

     The video above has become an ongoing joke between me and my roommate. We found this little girl's enthusiasm and positivity both funny and adorable! We watch it often for a good laugh and sometimes will quote lines from it to remind ourselves to be positive. "I like my school! I like my hair! I like my whole house! My whole house is great! I can do anything good!" Okay...so it might sound silly, and I'm not saying we should all stand in front of the mirror each morning and recite our lists of "likes" as Jessica has demonstrated...(Though it may make you a YouTube star if you record it. ;) hahaha!)...BUT the point is we should think about things that we are grateful for each day.
     I don't know about you, but I know that sometimes it can be easy to take things for granted. It can also sometimes seem easier to complain and be negative rather than think positively. But why is that? I wonder why we often find reason to complain or think the worst when we have so much to be grateful for and positive about. Take the "simple" things that may seem like a given to most of us, but to many people in this world they are not as easy to come by...food, water, health, shelter, clothing, family, friends, education, work. How about even the fact that we are ALIVE? (Again, life is a gift) For Christians...what about remembering EVERY DAY to be grateful the sacrifice Jesus made for us by dying on the cross in our place, for our sins, so that we may have the gift of salvation and eternal life in Heaven with God forever. THAT is something to always be thankful for...THAT is a reason to always be positive. Even if we had nothing else in life...we have God. That's a really good reason to be happy. We have the blessed assurance that God will never leave us nor forsake us. We have the hope of His many good promises to us. We have the gift of life that He has granted us--a life that He has intended for us to have fun with, embrace it, reach others for Christ, live fully and abundantly, and ultimately bring glory to Him in all that we say and do. Overall...God LOVES us and wants us to have this amazing life that He has written for us in His grand, unfathomable, perfect plan. That being said, there is always a reason to be positive.

{My 10 Tips for Living a More Positive, Abundant Life}

 

1.  Be Thankful and Count Your Blessings, Not Your Problems (As cliché as it sounds...it works)
2. Worry, Stress, and Complain LESS (aka...be POSITIVE. Have a little hope...have faith in God's plan. Put your worries in God's hands. Leave your problems at the cross. Stop trying to control everything and just let the stress go. I know it is harder than it sounds. Trust me. I struggle with it too. But I also know what  a difference it makes when I simply take a deep breath, throw my worries away, and trust that God will take care of me, every little detail, working all things together for my good.)
3. Be HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY (Yea, I really love Duck Dynasty. I just had to throw that one in there. lol. But hey, its true, Jack!)
4. Spend time with God (See my post "Be Still" for more information on quiet time with God.)
5. Serve others (Caring for the needs of others will not only help them and show them God's love, but it will also bring you joy as well. Remember JOY--Jesus, Others, You.) *Suggestions: hold the door for people, write a handwritten note of encouragement to a friend, offer to pray with/for people, serve at a nursing home, etc. 
6. Enjoy the simple things in life...a quiet walk, reading a book, listening to music, etc. Check out my Pinterest board for more ideas: The Simple Life :)
7. Go out in nature! Okay, I know I'm a country girl and I just love being outside, but even if you're not an outdoorsy person take some time to enjoy God's creation. Think about it. God created this amazing, beautiful world for us to enjoy and explore! Wow! For me, I feel close to God when I'm up in the mountains or when I see a beautiful sunset/sunrise sky. The fingerprints of God are everywhere you look. Take the time to just be in awe of God's creation.
8. Love people! God loved us first and has called us to love others. Show your love to your family, your friends, your neighbors, etc. Show God's love to strangers by just being kind and polite...and really show God's love by loving your enemies. Make good friends! Fellowship with other Christians! Tell people you love them, but also SHOW them. That's important.
9. LAUGH!!!!! It's good to laugh! God has a sense of humor too. Don't always be too serious or too hard on yourself. Have fun and enjoy life. That's the way we are meant to live. There is a time for everything...so yes, there are times to be serious, but there are also times to have fun! Even be silly once in awhile. ;)
10. Challenge yourself & try new things. Don't get stuck in a rut or be content with boredom. Be spontaneous sometimes. (But be wise about it too--aka don't do something dangerous just because you want to "live on the edge") Just change it up every now and then. For me this can be something as exploring a new place to hangout on campus...or something as challenging as trying out a new sport (aka color guard)...or even something as thrilling as going zip-lining! There are so many opportunities that God puts in your life. Why not embrace them?

Grace & Peace,
Samantha (The Hat Girl)

Be Still

Psalm 46:10 (NIV) "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

     Be still....this command sounds so simple. Just to be and know...to rest in God's presence...easy, right? Sometimes this task can be a lot harder to accomplish than it seems. However, it does not have to be that way. I don't know about you, but when I think of resting in God's presence that concept just sounds so relaxing, freeing, peaceful. As Christians it is important that we strive to attain this status in our daily lives regardless of our circumstances. Whether we are having a good day or a bad day, it is crucial to set aside time to just be still and reflect on what God is doing in our lives, what He is trying to tell us or teach us, and to trust Him with whatever is our worrying us. This activity is often referred to as "quiet time," and it is an essential element of our daily walk with Christ.

     Being still and just simply knowing that God is in control is a challenge. If you have ever tried to consistently commit to a daily quiet time at a preset hour, you've probably found that it is sometimes hard to discipline yourself to stay committed to it in the midst of a busy life. However, daily quiet time with God is important. Many people choose to do this in the mornings to start their day off right with a peaceful and focused state of mind. Reading scripture in the morning can help prepare you for the tasks of  day ahead and give you something to reflect on throughout the day. Spending time in prayer before you start your day reminds you to give your day to God, turning it over for Him to use it to His glory. Though prayer should be a lifestyle--consistent throughout our day--praying in the morning allows us a chance to ask God to guide our steps, help us through any trials we may face that day, and ask Him to show us what He wants us to know or learn from the events/experiences that we will go through. Another popular timeframe for "quiet times" is at night. This is beneficial as well because it gives us the opportunity to reflect on our day, thank God for His blessings, ask for His wisdom in situations that may be trying. Overall, the best option for quiet time would be a combination of both. Now the effectiveness of a quiet time is not in the consistency of having it always at a set hour for an allotted amount of time. The truth is, you can have quiet time at any hour of the day. It is a personal choice based on your schedule and when you know you're most alert, receptive, and effective. For example, you may choose to have your quiet time in the mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays because you do not have a class until the afternoon, but on every other day of the week it may work better for you to have it at night. It doesn't have to be an extremely long amount of time, but it should not be too brief either. (This is why having multiple quiet times throughout the day may also be a good option--you might choose to have a few brief quiet times if that's the best way for you to fit it in to your schedule.)
     Quality is the key. You want your quiet times to be meaningful and effective. In the midst of our busy lives it can be tempting to just go through the motions in our quiet time and not really go very deep or get very much if anything out of it. You know those times when you open up your Bible, read a few quick verses and go on with your day? You technically did have quiet time, but you know that is was not a true, quality quiet time. Okay, I'll admit that I'm guilty of this too. Though reading Scripture throughout our day is a GREAT way to stay in tune with God, it is important that we do not do this in a way that is almost automatic and subconscious just to say that we did our quiet time and assuage our guilt. When we take the time to truly dwell in God's Word, we are not only showing respect to God and appreciation for the gift of His Word, but we are also doing our selves a favor by allowing ourselves to be Spiritually fed. It makes a huge difference. Now, I know what some of your are thinking...how am I supposed to fit in quiet time when I am so busy? Okay, let's take a moment to talk about busyness. The other day I heard a speaker give a profound thought on this topic of business regarding how does one go about fitting in ministry into a busy schedule. Her reply as simply, EVERYONE IS BUSY. This should not stop us from committing to daily quiet time. We make time for other things...Facebook, Pinterest, hanging out with friends. (Okay, I'm guilty too. No lie.) And those things our great! But its all about priorities. We should not let these things which are temporary take place of something like spending time with our Heavenly Father which impacts us eternally. When you think about it that way, it kind of puts everything into perspective. Like I said before, quiet time doesn't have to take up a lot of time...it just has to be quality quiet time every day. It is essential because it impacts everything else that we do in our lives. If we have quiet time with God, it can put us in the right mindset so that when trials come or we are called upon to help others through a difficult situation then we will be spiritually minded and may be able to think back to what God was teaching us in our quiet time. Other than personal benefit, quiet time truly is an act of worship to God. It's a way of saying, "God, I trust you. I give you my worries. My mind is racing. I've got a thousand things on my plate to day, but I just take this time to give those concerns over to You. I ask you to guide me, and I give this day to Your glory that You may use it to teach me the things You want me to know and to use Me to be a blessing to others as a vessel shinning Your light into their lives."
     I often think of how small the sacrifice of having quiet time really is when you look at in retrospect to how much of a sacrifice God has made to have time with us. Think about it. The God of the entire universe, the one true King, the Most High wants to have time with us daily. Why would we ever pass that up? When I think about this I think of Psalm 8:4 (ESV) "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" Out of all the people in the world God chooses not only to think of us, but also love us, care for us, work in our hearts. How crazy awesome is that!? Yea, I'm excited. haha! It is exciting. It's like if God could send us text messages then He would be texting us to say, "Hey, let's get coffee and just talk for a little while. I want to hear how you are doing right now." That's what quiet time is all about. Just being with God. Therefore, be still and know that He is God. We are back to our first verse. Quiet time is a time to voice our concerns to God, to thank Him for His blessings, to ask for His help in difficult situations we are facings, and to just listen and rest in His calming presence.
     Now, here's the awesome thing...God knows all those things already, yet He still wants us to talk to Him about everything that is going on in our life. He knows our name, our thoughts, our feelings, our fears, our hopes, dreams, desires, needs, worries, weaknesses, strengths, problems. The Bible says He knows the number of hairs on our head! God knows all of that already. He knows us better than we know ourselves. That is just amazing, right!? Yet, the beautiful thing is He knows, but He desires for us to still talk to Him about it. He even knows what we are going to say to Him in our prayers before we say it. He knows what we think, but don't say and the things we cannot quite seem to put into words. You might be wondering...so if God knows all that, then why is it important for me to pray and tell Him anyway? Here's what I think...by voicing our praises, requests, fears, worries to God we are saying, "God, I trust you. I know you are in control." We are not granting God permission to work in our lives or giving Him control...He already has that too. God is in control of our lives whether we know it or not, but by recognizing and acknowledging His control...by thanking Him for His presence in our lives, we are showing God that we are trusting Him to work out everything in our lives from the big things to the small things. God cares about them, all and He is always in control of every situation. God has a purpose and a plan for our individual lives, and He will work out everything for His glory in His own perfect time and in His perfect way.
     In reality, I could go on and on about this topic. haha. But I'm going to bring it to a close with one last illustration. Think of your life as a book...YOU are the main character of your story, but God is the author. God is in control of what happens in the story He has written about you. God, as the author of our lives, is the only one who knows the entire story. He knows how it's going to end, whereas we can only read on page at a time. God sees the whole story from beginning to end and He is WITH US every step of the way. We just have to TRUST that God is the good and kind author of our lives, and He will work all things together for our good. It's not always easy to trust, but this is why we must simply be still and know that He is God. He is in control. He knows and wants what is best for us. He knows our every need and thought and desire of our heart. He will work out everything for our good because He is a kind and loving Father who knows what He is doing. So take the time to just simply be with God...a God that desires to spend time with you. We might often take that for granted, but we should remember what a blessing it is to have a Heavenly Father who cares SO MUCH about us and every little detail of our life. Now...I'm not saying I've got quiet time down to a science and that I am perfect about keeping consistent with it in my own life, because that is far from true. I'm not perfect. No one is. The important thing is that I am striving to spend time with God. I am craving to spend time in His presences. Yearning to learn what He wants to teach me. We will make mistakes...we will forget to do our quiet time sometimes...we might even accidentally fall asleep while doing our quiet time! haha. The thing is, God knows we are not perfect. (He made us.) He knows we are trying. He understands. God just wants us to spend time with Him daily and know that He is with us no matter what we may be going through. God is for us and He will never fail. Quiet time...it may sound like something so small, so minuscule, but it can have a major impact in our lives. So today just take some time to just rest in God's presence and dwell in His Word which is such a gift to us. Pray to God and listen to what He is telling you too. The God of Heaven wants to spend time with you....so what are you waiting for? :)

Grace & Peace,
Samantha (The Hat Girl)

One Puzzle Piece at a Time: Trusting in God's Faithfulness When You Can't See the Big Picture

     Hey readers! Sooo it's been awhile since my last post and A LOT has happened since then. For starters...COLOR GUARD SEASON has officially begun. For those of you who may not know this is my first season of color guard EVER and I'm on a collegiate level team...talk about a challenge! haha. Today I'm going to talk a little bit about my journey on the guard team thus far and how it relates to some pretty awesome life lessons that I've learned through my experience. This is post is all about overcoming fears and trusting in God even when you may not understand His calling because that is seriously what got me through these past two weeks of color guard & band camp. Believe me...it wasn't easy, but it was worth it. :) I am focusing my message on a Bible verse that has recently become very special to me: 1 Thessalonians 5:24 "God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful." (NLT) Basically, it means that if God calls you to it...He WILL get you through it.

     Okay, to begin...let me just give you a little backstory to how this whole guard thing suddenly became a wonderful new part of my life. At the end of last semester I heard that my school was having auditions for their color guard team. Now as I mentioned previously, I had never done color guard before. No experience. I have always liked watching the guard perform at the football games...it looked pretty fun! Also, guard involves a lot of dance...I've had years of dance training and I really missed dancing sooo I was like, hey why not give it a shot. Anyway, to make a long story short...I contacted the band director & guard instructor, told them I was interested in auditioning but I knew nothing about guard, and asked them if they knew anyone who would be willing to teach me some basics before auditions. They referred me to one of their team members who graciously taught me a few guard basics: drop spins, speed spins, backscratchers, stirs, and a single toss. This was over the course of the two weeks prior to auditions. So with this very helpful yet limited knowledge and skill I choreographed a routine for auditions and performed it. :) We also had to learn a routine and perform it in groups. Annnd I made the team! Praise God! I believe this was totally a God thing because I did not expect it at all. This brings me to one of my first life lessons I've learned: God always has a greater plan that is beyond our imagination.
     My color guard adventure had felt like I'm going a million miles per hour: two weeks of training...auditions...made the team...went to beginner camp for one week...LU guard camp...LU band camp...and now our regular rehearsals begin today. Phew. It's been tough, but it's also been fun cultivating a new skill! It's like God gave me this desire, but I wasn't quite sure why I wanted to do it other than it was a way to get back into my love of performing. Overall, I feel like God called me to it and I'm just trusting in His faithfulness. I've had this idea confirmed many times now, and this much needed confirmation seems to always come at the right time. For example...whenever I was having a really rough day of practice it seemed like out band director would gather us together and remind us that God called each of us to this team for reason and that although we may not know what that reason is yet, we just have to trust that God is going to be faithfully in bringing his plan to completion. These words were extremely comforting and empowering...especially when I just felt like I didn't have the strength to keep going.
     There were times when I felt like I made a mistake by joining the guard team because I felt like I wasn't good enough. I questioned why God had placed this desire on my heart or if maybe I had misunderstood his calling. But I did not give up. I prayed. I kept trying...and trying, and trying annnnd trying again, and eventually I got better. Overall...I had to learn to put my trust in God even when it seemed like what He was calling me to do was impossible. I could not see the whole picture, but I had to believe 100% in God's faithfulness and His timing. This brings us back to the verse I mentioned at the beginning of this post: 1 Thessalonians 5:24 "God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful." (NLT) It just so happens...Dr. Elmer Towns gave a message on this verse during our band camp devotionals one night. :) God really spoke to me that night through this verse and Dr. Town's devotional. I was beginning to realize God really did have a plan for me being on this team and that it was not a mistake. Every time I did something right during rehearsals (got my flag work right, caught a toss, remembered my drill, etc.) it was like a piece of the puzzle coming together, and I could begin to see God's big picture. One of the biggest puzzle pieces was put into place for me just the other night. It was our last night of band camp...the final rehearsal of the day. It was cold and rainy out on the field, but we were determined to finish strong. We ran through everything we've learned so far with the marching band and it went AWESOME! All our hard work paid off...our adrenaline was high...we gave it our all and performed it like we had a crowded stadium. Personally I was excited because I CAUGHT MY TOSSES! lol. That was a big struggle for me, and it felt amazing to accomplish it.
     After the rehearsal we had a "graduation" from band camp and our induction as official members of the university band. It was all real now. It was really happening. God was faithful. At that point...I forgot for a moment about all my bruises (aka battle scars), aching muscles and joints, and exhaustion. It was like crossing the finish line after a big race. Life is kind of like that too. On Earth we will endure trials and pain, but as Christians we know that one day we will cross that finish line into Heaven and hear our Creator, God say "Well done, good and faithful servant." That is a victory that cannot be compared. :)
     I know that my journey in guard has only just begun....we have not even performed at our first game yet. I still have tons of work ahead of me...more to learn...more bruises probably, but now I have an idea of where God is leading me through it all. That is the strength that pulls me through the hard times to the moments when I perform and I feel amazing out there on that field spinning my flag. I've also met some incredible friends through color guard and that is a blessing of it's own.
     Whatever you're going through...remember that in order to see God's big picture you've got to put the puzzle together one piece at a time. In the meantime...trust that God will be faithful in bringing it to completion, and don't give up.

Grace & Peace,
Samantha (The Hat Girl)

Choosing Joy...Finding Strength

     You may have heard the old saying, "Each day is a gift...that's why it is called the present." There is truth in that statement. Every day that we wake up is a gift from God. However...it is up to us to make the most of it.
     Okay...I know what you're thinking, sure I can make the most of a good day, but what about those pesky bad days? Everyone has bad days. You know what I mean...those times when nothing just seems to go right. Maybe you're having one of those days today. Let me give you a little scenario so you understand what I'm talking about:

     First things first...your alarm did not go off this morning. (Or if you're like me, you may have accidentally turned it off when you were half asleep...oops!) Anyway, you wake up to a text from your friend that says, "WHERE ARE YOU?" You jump out of bed, but now you have just enough time to get dressed, brush your teeth, throw that hair under a hat, and get to class.
     Now, let me just say...I'm the kind of person who likes to get up and have plenty of time to get ready. I prefer to be EARLY to class--not just on time--so when something like this happens to me it 's just not a good start to my day.
     Okay...so you made it out the door and on your way to class. You probably think the worst is over now, right? WRONG. It's raining...not just drizzling. Pouring! Annnd you didn't have time to grab your umbrella...or a jacket...oh, and you're wearing flip flops. Great. But wait...there's more!
     Picture this...your waiting at the bus stop. You wait....and wait....and it's still raining....and you keep waiting. No bus. Only one option now...walk to class. So you're walking and walking and you finally see a bus! Yes! You run up to the nearest bus stop just in time to.........watch the bus race on past you and splash that enormous puddle on you. Not cool. Now you're soaked...should you give up, skip class, and just call it a day? No...because you already used up all your skips for this class.
     You make it to class. You're a little late, but you slip in and think everything is cool. You can sit in class, dry off from the rain, and relax...until your classmate says those dreaded words...
     "Ready for the test?
      And you're like, "TEST!? What test?"

     Sound familiar to you? We all have those bad days. Sometimes we might even have a bad week.  You might even being going through a "bad storm." That's the really hard stuff that we have to endure while we are living here on earth. One trial comes your way after another and all you can do is pray to get through it. As a friend of mine once said...it's these times when you're left saying, "What else is going to go wrong?" BUT you keep on going! Why? Because with every storm we face God has a purpose--to teach us something..to show us something...to prepare us for something. Just knowing that can really help when a storm hits. How do you make it through? Well, it's not easy. You pray. You read encouraging scripture. You pray again. Overall...you fully rely on God. You put your worries in his hands, leave your burdens at the cross, and CHOOSE JOY.

     Choosing joy is absolutely crucial to overcoming a bad day, a bad week, and especially a bad storm. It kind of sounds like an oxymoron...choosing to be joyful when you're going through so many trials that make you want to be anything but joyful. Crazy, right? Nope. It makes sense if you think about it from a Biblical standpoint. Check out this verse from chapter eight in the book of Nehemiah:

     Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV)

     JOY. The joy of the Lord is our strength. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary one definition of joy is "a source or cause of delight." As Christians our source of constant and true joy is God. Regardless of what we may be going through in our daily lives, we can choose to be joyful in Christ! We must choose to rely on the joy of the Lord to be our strength in these times of trouble and heartache if we want any relief. No, choosing joy is not a magic trick to make all our worries and problems go away instantly. Yet, by choosing the joy of God...we do three things: we help our selves, we help others, and most importantly, we glorify God.

Okay...why don't we break this down?

1. We help ourselves:
     This one is kind of simple. I mean if your inevitably going to have a bad day now and then...would you rather sulk through it or put on a smile and try to laugh your way through it. :) As the verse in Nehemiah says, choosing to be joyful in Christ despite any trials we are experiencing will give us the strength we need. We are not to be discouraged. Yes, it's natural to feel upset or even angry, but we cannot allow those negative feelings to overtake us. Now when I say "Choose joy" I'm not just saying "Don't worry. Be happy!" It's much more than that. Though similar, joy and happiness are not exactly interchangeable. Happiness is a feeling, an emotion. Our feelings come and go; they are effected or changed by what is going on around us and what is happening to us. Joy--as in the true joy of the Lord--is something that should be constant and unchangeable in us no matter what emotions we may be feeling at any given time. How? God is constant and unchangeable...and if He is our source of joy than we can always be joyful knowing that God is going to take care of us.
     In Corinthians 4:8-12 it says, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you." (ESV)

2. We help others:
     Our personal decision to be joyful is an way that we can witness to others. That joy will shine out of you and make people wonder what's different about you. If someone knows you are going through a rough time and yet they see you being joyful, they might be inspired to do the same. They may even ask you, why are you so happy? Now, there's a chance to witness to someone about the joy that they too can find in Christ alone. As the lyrics of one of my favorite old hymns say, "In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm."

3. We glorify God:
     Finally, choosing joy is our way of saying "God, I trust you. I'm not sure why I'm going through this rough time, but I'm choosing to rely on the joy that only You can give me to be my strength right now." When we do that, God will give us a joy and peace that passes our own understanding. Instead of grumbling about our problems, we need to focus on what God is trying to teach us through them.


     Overall...choosing joy is the best option to combating our problems. One thing I've learned is that worrying will not change ANYTHING. It only robs you of your strength. (And trust me...when you face a storm you will need all the strength you can get.) Many of my favorite movies are in the Love Comes Softly series. If you've never watched them you do not know what you are missing out on. They are amazing! Throughout the continuing story in these movies the main characters face many different storms and must learn to trust in God's greater plan for their lives. They rely on His unchanging joy to be their strength. The following are two of my very favorite quotes from this series that convey this message:

Love's Enduring Promise:
Willie: "Speaking of God...what did your pa mean by His enduring promise?"
Missy: "That someday, He'll wipe away all our tears...that all pain and suffering and heartache will be gone. You know, that evening when we were all together feeling joyful that Pa wasn't in pain, you helped give us a glimpse of that promise."

Love Comes Softly:
Clark: "The truth of God's love is not that he allows bad things to happen. It's His promise that He'll be here with us when they do."

     We can be joyful because of God's enduring promise to us: that He will always be with us and that our suffering will not last forever. In Psalm 30:5 it says, "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (NIV) Now that's a promise we can stand on! CHOOSE JOY TODAY!

Keep learning!

Grace & Peace,
Sam (The Hat Girl)