Give thanks

 

Despite our circumstances, giving thanks is such a necessary thing to give back to God and to realize how blessed we all are in spite of the situations we may find ourselves in. This past summer before i went to be Nicaragua, I sat down with my parents and talked to them about how I didn’t want to give less than my best for the kids and people of Nicaragua. I told them that I didn’t want to be preoccupied with what may be going on at home or what I feel is a burden while on the trip. I SPECIFICALLY remember throwing out the example that even if I suffered from a headache the whole time I was on the trip, I wouldn’t let it keep me from giving my all. Low and behold, God took that as a request for me to suffer from a headache the whole week we were there. I literally had a nonstop headache for 8 days. God was definitely testing me. Was I going to fall back on my word and give up when the going got tough or was I going to sink my teeth into the task at hand, regardless of my pain? I knew God was testing me so I did the latter. Through pain and frustration I knew that my little problems were so much less of a problem than what God had told me to do that week in Nicaragua. I realized that week that even with my pounding head, I needed to give thanks for what I did have and what I  was able to do through my suffering. You can’t just thank God for the days of sunshine and the moments of happiness; thanks must be given on rainy days and during times of struggling and hardship. This is when God feels your sincere devotion to him. So here I am on thanksgiving, and guess who has a headache? THIS GIRL! Is that going to keep me from giving thanks for everything God has given me? Absolutely not. I have a literal headache and I have a million little headaches and heartaches I’m going through right now but none of those are worth pouting and throwing a fit in God’s face. I am thankful even through the pain I have going on inside me. I’m even thankful for the pain because I know that through it, God is going to bless me and give me something to reach in the end. Be thankful today, for all the good things in life, and for the not so good things. God is good and he deserves our praise today and everyday.

There is at least one person in life that I believe sticks with you no matter what may come between you. Distance, arguments, growing up, life in general. Nothing can separate me from this one girl. I am so thankful for her friendship. Liv, you’re the best and I am so blessed by you. Best friends forever.

 

 

Beauty in the Eternal

Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons; scarves, the beautiful weather, Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, sweaters and leaves. The trees during the fall are so vibrant and beautiful, I wish that fall lasted longer than 2.5 weeks (for those of us in Indiana that is). The amazing thing about the trees during the fall is that the leaves change color. Seeing golden, fire blazing leaves is a beautiful sight and it a wonderful change from green. The thing about these beautiful orange and yellow leaves, is that this is the end for those leaves. They will soon fall and they will be dried up and burnt and never come back to life. Wanna know the good news about leaves? That isn’t what happens to humanity when we come to the end of our time. Life may seem like it is the beautiful thing we have but our beauty comes in the eternal life, after we leave the earth. When the fall comes in our lives, and we see that our time on earth is a ticking clock, we can be at peace knowing that the beauty of our lives comes when we are living our eternal life with God in heaven. Don’t get stuck on the beauty you think is here on earth, because there is so much more in store for the People of God. Rejoice in that fact.

I’m OBSESSED With the Grinch

 

 

…can you tell?

God does NOT betray us and he does NOT destroy us. He is faithful, loving, generous and always FOR us. It is selfish of any of us to ever assume we know better and that God doesn’t care about us.

 

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

Mission Accomplished

 

 

 

“We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.”
Emil Zatopek

Chicago Marathon 2011

4:41:36

 

 

Oh you, you will be loved by someone good
And you, you will be loved by somebody good
You have been loved

what was i thinking

It’s only the second week of school and I’m already feeling a little overwhelmed. Ok, not overwhelmed but really busy. I like being busy and having things to do but I’m pretty much scheduling my days minute by minute. Go to one class, go to a practice, go for a run, go eat, go to another class, sleep, do homework, practice more. Being a music major and training for a marathon at the same time are two extremes that both require a lot of time. I am not giving up either one. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST. Don’t give up on me and assume I won’t go through with anything on my plate. I can and will do everything I put my mind to. I might just need a bit of encouragement and prayers to get me through it all.

 

 

Deep breathe, Maddie.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

This was a great quick read. It was all about a little boy who had a glimpse of heaven while in the hospital suffering from an illness that could have killed him. This book, written by his father is an account of the different things he saw in heaven and how innocent little Colton is in saying such incredible things. He talks about the ‘markers’ that are on Jesus’ hands in heaven. What is the one thing that is the same on heaven and earth on Jesus? His wounds. Colton recalls seeing them but doesn’t realize what exactly they are. I think this book is incredible because so much of what this little boy recalls, are things that don’t get discussed in Sunday school with little kids. I especially have an appreciation for this book after the church service this past weekend. Our paster, Rob Wegner, was discussing the topic of heaven. He told us that in heaven, our lifelong hurts will finally be healed. Colton saw this in heaven when he met his grandfather who had passed away and his baby sister who died. We are all made new in heaven and our hurts and emotional pains are also wiped away. Rob also said that we will not at all be bored in heaven. Colton was kept busy in heaven with Jesus right by his side. This book was so good and I highly recommend it because I think the account that it gives gives us a hope and something to look forward to when we are reunited in heaven with loved ones and we are able to live in the original world God created for man.