"Everyone's Got Something"

I plan to blog again soon about my butterfly once I can get the video edited together, but for now I just wanted to share something that has been on my heart lately.  It's not often that I relate to secular songs, but another Christian who is very close to me and who knows what I've been going through lately recently shared this song with me saying "I thought you might relate to this song right now.  They were right...this song is spot-on.

Before I share the song, I'd like to share what's been on my heart.  I recently heard an audio sermon given by one of my former high school teachers - the theme of the sermon was "everyone's got something."  And it's true.  Everyone's got something that sticks out like a sore toe in their life - something that affects most areas of your life, for better or for worse. Something that you, specifically, struggle with or that has, for the time being, stumped you as to how to handle it. Perhaps it is something that you hold on to because you have too much fear over it to give it to God. It seems like the world is becoming an angrier and more hostile place to live in, especially if you're a Christian.  So, it just follows that people are more stressed than before, under more pressure than before, and dealing with multiple "somethings" in their lives.

What's been on my heart is that because these things seem to be increasingly true, it also seems to become harder and harder for Christians to have grace with one another, much less try to understand someone else's "something" because their own "somethings" are so poignant and different from that of their fellow brother or sister in Christ.  In other words, the pressure and hostility in the world is also weaving its way in between Christian brothers and sisters. It is usually difficult enough for a Christian to struggle through his or her something(s) without also having to struggle through pressure from his/her Christian brothers or sisters who don't act with grace or understanding toward him/her. (I'm speaking specifically of Christians who are striving to or actively seeking a constant, growing relationship with the Lord here.) It is expected that the world should act hostile toward Christians, but that is not what I'm talking about.

While I have been experiencing intense anxiety over some situations in my own life of this nature, I have also been feeling convicted of doing just the same - not acting with understanding and grace toward my Christian brothers and sisters.  And if I can't act with grace toward my Christian brothers and sisters, then how am I supposed to illustrate God's grace toward non-Christians who have yet to even experience the grace of God?  After talking with a dear Christian sister recently, our conversation reinforced this conviction in my heart.  Thinking about this today brought to mind a poignant video called "God's Glasses" that brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it.  What if we were all just a little more aware that everyone's got something? 



God's Glasses from keephopealive on GodTube.

In the Linkin Park song "Numb," which someone recently shared with me, I like the line "Just Caught in the Undertow" because that is such a good image for how I've been feeling overwhelmed with the anxiety of the situations in my life.  The song has a little "heavier" sound than most music I typically listen to, but the frustration you can hear in the singer's voice is spot-on as much as the lyrics.  If you don't like the music style of the song, you can just read the lyrics below it.

"Numb"

I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface
Don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)

[Chorus:]
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

Can't you see that you're smothering me,
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control?
'Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you.
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you.
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)
And every second I waste is more than I can take.

[Chorus:]

And I know
I may end up failing too.
But I know
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you.
 
[Chorus:]

* * * * * * * * * 
In spite of the difficulty I've had with such situations lately, I don't want to miss what the Lord is trying to teach me through it. I'm sure I've made someone else feel this way before as much as I've been feeling this way lately, so I return my thoughts to Jesus Christ and the grace He extended to me. I return my thoughts to "How can I be just a little more aware that everyone's got something?"

Love Inside a Chrysalis

Once again, it's been so long since I've written that now I have more to blog about than I have time for!  I've been itching to blog again for a while, but then when I finally sit down to write, I stare at the screen and wonder where I start!  Ha!

Let's start on a mildly cool morning when a blanket of fog settles low to the ground while vibrantly bright fall colors peek over the top of the foggy blanket. A gentle, blue sky feathered with whisps of white clouds give a perfect backdrop to the vivid color of the leaves on the trees, promising a pleasantly warm day to break the cycle of cold ones. This precisely describes my drive to work this morning.  It was a serenely quiet morning while passing the crop fields and uneventful pastures where cows and donkeys grazed and looking out toward the distant stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains...the symbol of my home.  It was a peaceful morning as I temporarily set aside all anxious thoughts, nestling into the presence of the Lord, being encouraged by the faithful morning radio show on Spirit FM, and excitedly anticipating the joy of a new delight from my Lord:  the emergence of a monarch butterfly from my chrysalis!

Day 5 after it formed a chrysalis

On the morning of Tom's and my 5th anniversary, October 18, 2013, a monarch caterpillar formed its chrysalis to begin a remarkable transformation.  My sister Tiffany surprised me with the chrysalis for my birthday when we saw her the next day.  I can't think of proper words to describe the flood of emotions I felt when she gave it to me, but it was overwhelming.  There went my sensitivity again! A wise man recently told me that I am "sensitive," and that I need to embrace that about myself so that God can use it for His Glory!  Working on it.  :)

Day 5

When I saw the chrysalis, I do remember feeling my heart surge in my chest!  I just about wept for joy at its beauty and knowing what a perfectly designed and delicate life was inside.  How AWESOME God is!  Oh, how He knows what delights my heart and how He continues to bless me with such things!

Day 11 after it formed a chrysalis - see the changes!?  :)

When I came home from work yesterday, I noticed significant changes to inside the semi-translucent chrysalis and excitedly called my sister.  Now, almost 13 days after it formed its chrysalis, it should emerge any time now!  My sister suspects it will be Wednesday morning!  That's tomorrow...or, later today, I should say since it is after midnight!  She taught me how to tell if it's a male or female, how to tag it, what to feed it, and how to hold it once it emerges. The fine detail and intricacies of such life illustrate not only that God is so clearly the Author of Creation but that He delights in me through His Creation!

Day 11

And now, my heart is overwhelmed once more with emotions as I wait anxiously for a beautiful monarch butterfly to emerge from this beautiful chrysalis that I have so lovingly watched for 12 days.  I'm overwhelmed because I'm excited to see the monarch butterfly emerge and hold and feed it, sad that it will need to leave to start its long trip to Mexico, worried that it might not make it all the way there, and overjoyed at having the opportunity to witness something so unique and special!

I took my chrysalis to work today to keep an eye on it since it was possible that it could have emerged today.  I was grateful for the opportunity to share it with some of my coworkers - this is too beautiful of a transformation to not share it with others!  I got a nice laugh when a couple of folks
asked me if I had decorated the chrysalis and after a moment of being baffled by their question, I said, "No, God did!"  :)  I mean, look at it! This thing has GOLD on it!  :)  It's as if God signed His name with love on the chrysalis and inside the chrysalis, it's as if He left His promises and the hope and love that are in Him in which we can be secure.  

One of my coworkers was having a difficult day for health reasons and seemed genuinely grateful that she was able to share in the excitement of the chrysalis - it cheered her up a bit - and this, too, overwhelmed me with emotion as I realized God was delighting her heart with it too.  :) 

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." -Romans 1:20.  Psalm 139 is one of my favorite Psalms and always reminds me just how intimately the Lord knows us and how great is His love for us...how much richer are our lives when we seek His face!

I hope to blog again soon (hopefully tomorrow) about some of the other things on my heart, but this is part 1. :)   God bless you and good night!

New Weight Loss Program? Uh oh...

Today, I downloaded a new free app on my phone called Noom that helps you log your exercise and meals/food intake to help you lose weight. I set up my profile and went through a mini-tutorial to get started.  I set my weight loss goal even though it's still a little above where I'm probably supposed to be for my height.

Day 1
Based on my weight loss goal, I'm supposed to eat no more than 1200 calories per day. I ate more than that at lunchtime alone! Well, I should say lunch plus a mid-afternoon snack. Breakfast, I did well. Dinner - mediocre to poor.  Lunch = horrible!  My exercise amount took a lot of my tiny bit of free time today, but I almost met my supposed exercise quota amount for the day.

I've been having a lot of anxiety attacks - lately lasting pretty much all day, but thought maybe more exercise and following a proper weight loss regimen would help. Maybe this wasn't something I should start when I feel so overwhelmed?  I find it very time-consuming and confusing to figure out the calories in every little thing I eat, but I know that's what needs to happen in order to get a handle on losing weight.  Feeling very discouraged.  Noom tries to encourage you, but I'm at a total loss of what to do next.

We've already bought groceries for the week, so I can't go buy a bunch of new groceries. I barely cook (I enjoy baking, but that won't help me here), so that makes things more challenging. I never feel like my lunches are very exciting...I often get pretty bored with them (ever happened to you??)...so what should I put in my lunches? 

I'll be turning 30 in a couple of months, which I know means that my metabolism is slowing down even more. I learned from one health & wellness speaker that your metabolism slows down a certain percentage every 10 years, so the older you get, the more important it is to continue resistance exercises - some of these are feasible for me to do with a bad back and some are not, but I do my best.

Based on Day 1, it looks like lunches are my biggest problem - definitely would not have guessed that!  As discouraged as I feel, I guess it's a lesson learned. I'm sure dinners could stand some tweaking here and there, but for now, perhaps I should tackle the lunch problem. Part of my difficulty is not having/giving myself enough time to prepare lunches, so I make a sandwich and grab several other items to throw in there to eat during the day - yogurt, 100 calorie packs of wafers and/or cheese crackers, a baggie of grapes (usually), sometimes a Luna bar, etc. Sometimes I only eat 3 items along with my sandwich, sometimes 4.  Any suggestions on an inexpensive way to have easy-to-grab-and-go lunches?

My desire is not to make this weight loss thing an idol in my life, but to use it as a tool to help me be a better steward of the body God gave me. I believe that what I eat and how much I eat contributes a great deal to my overall health and well-being.  If I can stick with it, I think the Lord has much to teach me about patience, self-control, willpower, and most importantly, relying on Him.

Frisbee Golf Fail

The Mushroom: blurry
because my camera lens
fogged up from humidity
as soon as I opened it!

Since we didn't get outside until later in the day, Tom and I tried a frisbee golf course today at a nearby park (not knowing that it had rained there earlier in the day)...  

We thought we'd tough out the intense humidity, poison ivy (Tom and both the dogs accidentally touched some), mosquitoes, and a lot of mud, so we kind-of made it through baskets 1 & 2.  On our way to the 3rd basket (walking down a slippery, muddy path in a thick part of the woods), I stopped to take a picture of a mushroom (I like fungi) while Tom and the puppies got quite a bit farther ahead of me.

Just as I stood back up from taking the picture, a loud gun crack split the air so loudly that it sounded like it was only a few yards from me!  I looked down at my clothes to see that I was wearing dark blue shorts and a dark green shirt...not good!  I hollered out to Tom to make sure he was okay even as I acknowledged that I had not been shot. He hollered back to see if I was alright and made his way back up the trail to me. He wasn't wearing any bright colors either, and of course our dogs are black and brown.  We were in a state park, so we definitely weren't expecting to hear gun shots from what we figured were hunters. Nevertheless, knowing that it wouldn't be the first time a hunter has shot at something before making sure it WASN'T a human, we finally decided that frisbee golf just wasn't in the cards for today! 

Thanking the Lord for keeping us safe!  :)

(We still had fun together anyway!)

Post-disclaimer: this is not a story to call for anti-gun laws or to say that all hunters are irresponsible (they're not).
 

Through the Eyes of a Creative Writer

Have you ever imagined living in or seeing 3 realities (or worlds) at the same time?  It dawned on me yesterday evening that most days, I do exactly this.  I see at least three realities around me almost every day (I say almost because I cannot count the days in which I'm so tired or sick that I can't focus on much more than simply getting more rest). The fact that my brain does this fascinates me because I realize that it makes life seem much richer at any given moment if I merely pause to appreciate it, but it also fascinates me because I realize that the majority of people see only one or two of these "realities" or "worlds."  And on top of this, as my counselor has explained to me, I see the world in "high definition"...which, in turn, means I can potentially see all 3 worlds in high-definition!  It's so crazy to me...but awesome! 

Small Tangent off-topic ("rabbit trail"):  I'm always afraid that people will think I'm boasting or trying to puff myself up (see previous blog post about my fear of what others think and their approval of me), but I certainly don't intend any of this to come across that way.  When I discover something about myself or about what the Lord is teaching me, I want to share it with others for two reasons:  first and foremost, I want to share what the Lord is teaching me in case it might help someone else!  Secondly, because I, like most folks, want to be known (that is to say, I want to be understood). For me, I find it easier to express myself in writing. :)  I believe the desire to be known (understood) comes directly from being made in the image of our Creator, who desires most strongly to be known and understood by us!  Our life is about our relationship with Him and our relationships with others. << end tangent >>

The three "worlds" to which I'm referring are as follows:  
1. The real, actual world (actual physical reality - visible, tangible, factual), which most people see, but which I apparently see in "high definition."
 
2. The spiritual world all around us (actual spiritual reality, but invisible, not always tangible, still factual), which only some people see and understand if they are walking in a close relationship with the Lord.  Seeing this world is in direct correlation to your relationship to God - He permits you to see as much as He knows you are prepared to see. I see this world so long as I am seeking the Lord through His Word and prayer and fellowship with other Christians. I start losing sight of this world any time I start focusing on myself or things other than God.  The closer I walk with the Lord, the more "high definition" I can see in this world, but only as much as the Lord permits me to see. I'm glad He keeps some things hidden because I know we wouldn't be able to handle it if we could see and understand everything that He does.

3. The fictional world (not physical reality, but many other "possible" realities with visual and tangible elements that temporarily seem real), which most people don't see but which my mind usually sees with as much clarity as the real world when I choose to turn this "lens" on. When I have this lens on, new things appear and real things become what they are not - sometimes changing shape, taking on more shape, becoming exaggerated, or developing a story that they didn't once have. Because this world is the "odd ball out" for most folks, it's the one I want to try to describe to you here.

When I turn the "fictional world" lens on in my mind, the real world through my eyes is much more than normal reality with some occasional daydreaming!  To use some cultural references:  how I see the world is like how J.M. Barrie sees the world in the movie Finding Neverland, or like how Edward Bloom does in the movie Big Fish. There are many other movie media examples for this, but these are two of my favorites.  If you haven't seen these movies, I recommend them! :)

As you can somewhat tell in the trailer above for the movie Finding Neverland, J.M.Barrie sees things with his imagination as if they are really there even though they are not. Ultimately, I think that's what makes a great fiction writer - the ability to fully believe in (even if temporarily) a fictional world around you in so much detail and intensity that you can recreate the world with words so that others may join you there (again, temporarily).  That is why I love creative writing; that is why I want to write for the entertainment of others (though I need much practice) -- because like most writers, I want to perfectly describe the fictional worlds that I see so that others can experience them too through reading even if they don't experience it during their every day life like I do. I want others to be a part of it!  My dilemma:  finishing my stories!   :)

Life seems richer or more colorful when you not only see actual reality, but you also see a dozen possibilities!  Here are a couple of examples of what I mean by "life is richer."  My husband and I like to go hiking and that has been one of our favorite activities since we started dating. During the time we have been married, we have also gone hiking with my sister Tiffany, who is a wildlife biologist, ornithologist (studies birds), and an environmental educator in the Smoky Mountains. She has taught us how to identify flowers, trees, birds and bird songs, lichen, salamanders, and many other things. We're still beginners compared to her, but now when we hike by ourselves, our experience is so much richer because we have a greater knowledge and better understanding of the natural beauty around us!

My husband tells me that he's read about how people in some other places in the world have more specific words to label more specific shades of color, so people in those parts of the world are actually able to see more color, or color on a whole new level, than we are!  Likewise, musicians are able to hear all the nuances and each specific melody, harmony and part of a piece of music or song that makes the music seem much richer to them than to the non-musician who just hears the song as a whole. More in-depth knowledge adds a new "flavor," so to speak, to life. (More knowledge can also, by the by, add more sorrow to life.)

It is similar when experiencing the fictional world at the same time as the real world and spiritual world. Seeing new things that don't actually exist or seeing new fictional possibilities with things in the real world adds a new "flavor" and depth to life. Because I love nature so much, many of the things I see in the fictional world often involve nature somehow.  Here's a small glimpse of ways my mind sees a fictional world in addition to the real world:

A simple doorway becomes an arbor, a secret tunnel, or a grand double-door entryway. Two intertwined trees become lovers embraced forever. The creaking of the cafeteria table at my elementary school becomes an entire hidden factory of miniature creatures who are hard at work on little machines. A restful nap in my hammock in my backyard becomes a gentle swing on a high mountain cliff overlooking a gorgeous valley. An ocean wave becomes a little hungry sea monster begging for "sand patties."  A songbird becomes a character in a great adventure!  Every 10th stranger, on average, becomes the inspiration for a new story character. The scent of fresh-baked treats permeates into an opening line of a story. An abstract pattern in my shower curtain becomes a new fictional creature to make appearances in my stories. The opening animated company logo at the beginning of a film comes to life and becomes another new fictional world in my mind. The wind blowing through the trees becomes the trees laughing, whispering, or clapping.

Those are just some examples of how real things become fictional things in the fictional world that my mind sees; this doesn't account for the many new things that I create at random to fill the fictional world.  The other part that fascinates me is that not a single thought or made-up thing is my own -- the original thought had to have come from God first, or at least, the components of real things which came from God are combined in just such a way (which God also thought of first) that it becomes a fictional thing that God must place at my fingertips to discover and use creatively.  Why would He create me this way?  Other than to delight in me, which He so loves to do, and particularly to use toward His glory, I'm not sure of other reasons. Even of these two reasons, I have much to ponder about.

I hope that some of this made sense to you and was at least somewhat interesting!  I wanted to at least try to describe it in a blog post, but if I can ever finish all the stories I start, it might turn out better and more interesting for you if I just shared some parts of the fictional world I see through stories.  :)  Since I sometimes feel a little like Edward Bloom from the movie Big Fish, I'll leave you with a glimpse of the film from the movie trailer.

Looking for Approval and Being Alert!

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt left out and there's no clear reason why?  Have you ever been in a situation where the people you care about most clearly show favoritism toward someone else?   I have been pondering both of these types of situations in my life lately...and probably too much.  As I've learned all too well, my brain runs rabbit trails!   

What usually starts out as a legitimate situation as mentioned above turns into my brain creating a mountain out of a molehill, so to speak.  My brain starts with the basic truth and reality of a situation, which may indeed hurt my feelings, and then runs with it down to so many other conclusions that are actually false (or at least, not quite on target).  Having a history of depression, this is a dangerous path for my brain to go down.  I think I know why my mind does that, but never ever does it come out to a conclusion that is encouraging. No one, besides maybe my husband and sister, would ever know the kind of turmoil my mind has gone through by the time I reach a breaking point, and so to others, I must appear that much crazier. (I look upon this statement with both humor and sorrow.)    

I exhaust myself trying to figure out what others think about me and then trying to figure out how I can do better to gain their approval when I so often feel like I've lost it.  This morning, I was reminded again that I need only to be concerned about what God thinks of me.  If I can focus on His approval alone, it's much less exhausting because unlike man, God is always faithful, never changing, His love is unconditional, and He knows me better than anyone (even myself).  

I know why my mind goes down those rabbit trails...like anyone else, I have an innate desire to be loved and cared about, but I hate being misunderstood (which is almost a foregone conclusion based on who I am) and I have an unquenchable (and unhealthy) desire for the approval of others -- not necessarily the approval of "the world" (Biblically speaking), but the approval of those directly around me who are important to me.  

This morning, a few thoughts came to mind: 

**   The Lord uses His Word, situations, and other people at different times to speak to our hearts, whether in admonishment or encouragement.  Knowing that I have such an existing struggle with caring too much about the approval of others, I ought to focus on the Word of God that much more to feed on the Bread of Life that will encourage my heart and direct my paths.

**   The Devil will use every weakness I have to distract my focus from where it needs to be:  God, my King! Jesus Christ, my Savior!   The Holy Spirit, my intercessor!  

**  I was also reminded of this verse:  Matthew 26:41 -- "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise, temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak." (NLT)   I typically don't read NLT, but I like the NLT translation here particularly because of the word "alert" -- I need to be alert and pray consistently.  As I have been reminded several times recently, if I don't remain in God's Word and in prayer, it's incredibly easy for the Devil to slip in unnoticed and take away all my focus on the true Life-Giver, Jesus Christ. 

It's easy to say what I need to do, but it's not easy to follow-through. The Devil throws every single obstacle and distraction in my face that he can to keep me from being a strong vessel for the Lord.  The Devil is like a noxious gas that has no scent...he will slip in unnoticed, pervade your entire existence if you let your guard down even a little, and he will corrupt every ounce of your soul if you let him. He will give you a little truth with a lot of lies so that it you will end up believing all the lies because they're masked in a little truth; he will distract you so much that you are no longer able to enjoy the peace of the Lord. 

If we will only use them, God has given us the tools we need to remain in Him.  I love the Scripture on the Armor of God - you could do an entire study on each facet of the Armor of God!  Paul was not speaking in hyperbole when he said that we would indeed need the Armor of God!  Being a child of God inevitably means that we can be assured that we will be attacked by the powers of the dark world - the Devil and his evil spirits - and they will attack cunningly.

Ephesians 6:10-18

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of Truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

<sup>______________________

Thank you, Lord, for these essential reminders in my life this morning.  Thank you for giving us the Bread of Life by which we can live daily in perfect peace.  Help me to focus on you and on you alone so that my only goal and desire is to have your approval, and by this, my relationships will be well.  I pray for all of my Christian brothers and sisters that they too would put on the armor of God and be alert against the schemes of the devil so that they can live in your peace and be mighty vessels for your kingdom!  I pray also for the lost -- those who I know and those I don't -- that they would see you today in a way that they can't ignore; I pray that you would soften their hearts to receive salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ!  In reverence, I thank you for your sovereignty and the grace you extend over all of us.  I love you!  In Jesus' precious name, Amen.</sup>

 

Writing Retreat and Lessons from God

So little time and so much to share!  I guess I just need to write more!  :)

Thanks to one of my dear friends, I'm excited to be able to go on a writer's retreat this coming weekend where the main goal of the weekend will be to write and share what we write!  I haven't been in that kind of environment since college, and what's even more exciting is that I will get to see at least one of my creative writing professor friends from Virginia Tech!  I didn't ever have her as a professor for a class, but I did get to know her a bit and helped her and some other instructors with a Creative Writing Camp for youth one summer.  It's supposed to be a lovely weekend for weather, which I'm sure will make me want to be outdoors, so being on a retreat at a beautiful location will be perfect!  The only things that I will miss are my hubby and puppies, and church on Sunday. But what a fun opportunity, and it doesn't happen often.

I'm proud of myself because I finally finished one of my stories that I started in 2002!  Although it needs editing, illustrations, and perhaps a few loose ends tied together, it is one of the most complete stories I've written since college.

God has certainly been teaching me a lot lately - sometimes gently, and sometimes sternly.  Obviously, I prefer the gentle ways, but I realize that my stubbornness is not always conducive to being taught in a gentle manner. One of the things I've always struggled with that God continues to teach me repeatedly is "less of me, more of Him," and in many cases, this means "less of me, more of others."  Or, as He showed me through my devotion this morning:  you are not your own. You are His. 

Since it's late and I don't have time to expound upon all of this now, I'll just post a couple of my notes I've taken from sermons at our church:

* God sometimes uses the ungodly to chasten the godly.
 
* Among your Christian brothers and sisters, be of one mind, Paul says. You can't be of one mind if you don't have the same mindset based on doctrinal truths. People, Christians and non, shy away from the words doctrine or fundamentals, but these are just words that refer to a common foundation of beliefs. If Christians don't have the common ground of the Gospel rooted in Jesus Christ in the context of the authority of the entire Bible, then they'll never be of one mind. You become of the same mindset by reading and studying the Bible and believing in the authority of Scripture. There is no unity without the foundational beliefs being rooted in Christ and the Word of God.

While I'm Waiting

Been awhile since I've blogged, but hopefully I can blog more again soon. For now, I just wanted to share this song that I'm trying my hardest to embrace...while I'm waiting. I've been very discouraged lately and mostly holding it in (except from my husband) but probably not hiding it very well. My eyes were very puffy after a very difficult night and today I just continue to feel sorrow.  But I continue on and at least do what I'm supposed to do (work) for now.  My stubborn head has a hard time holding onto the encouragements that the Lord is sending me through my husband, my dear friend Andrea, and today, through an email from a former co-worker. It was in my response to the email from my former co-worker that I was reminded of this song. I'm praying that I can adopt the attitude of this song soon...