Letters of Encouragement

This week I was cleaning out my room trying to make room for my new roommate. I found a letter from an old friend. Old is used in both ways because he is an old man and I've known him since 3rd grade. He and his wife have become another set of grandparents ever since they started giving my mom stuff to help out with the afternoon kids club we had at our church that year. We continue to visit them, and even have our own little Christmas together. He regularly sends me the bulletin he gets from church, which I usually put in a pile of "read eventually" so that I don't feel bad throwing them away. My favorite is when he send me actual hand written notes. He usually will just write popular phrases, or Bible verses, but sometimes he will add his own original thoughts. I always read them right away, secretly hoping there will be direction for what to do with the current problem I'm struggling through. When I was cleaning out my drawer the other day I found one of these letters. I opened it to read it, and this caught my eye.

Trust all is well. The question, "where is God when it hurts?" the answer is the same. The place he was when Jesus His Son died on the cross. When we are hurting when we are questioning when we are in a place of difficulty, He is on the throne.

This took be a little by surprise. At that moment I was hurting and questioning, but this placed everything a new light. God is in heaven, and has it under control. But beyond my hurt, I was amazed at how God had placed this on my friends heart to write that day, and he had no idea what was going on in my life at the time. That realization was almost more humbling than the words written. This friend is a true friend. He prays for me, sends encouragement and is faithful, when I on the other hand, hardly take the time to read his encouraging notes. I am so thankful for him and his faithfulness to the Lord. He is a great example in my life, and one day I hope I can encourage others as he does. God is on His throne. I have nothing to fear. I've set my heart to walk with Him today. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a letter to write.

New Year New Resolutions Part II

I have another goal, and I think it's going to be a good one. Yesterday in church my pastor started a sermon series on 2Peter and Jude. In 2 Peter 1:5-8 it says:

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bam! Right there in front of me was a perfect goal for the new year. I've decided to study what each of these things are and what it looks like to add them to each other. I think it will be sorta fun. By doing this I hope I can become an effective and fruitful follower of Christ.

New Year New Resolutions

Happy 2013!! Looking back at 2012 it was not the year I was expecting. I had so many hopes, dreams and expectations that did not become reality in 2012 that I'm tempted to just not make any resolutions or goals for the next year. I mean, what's the point if they don't happen anyway?? Of course this is a selfish and pessimistic view, and God taught me a lot about trusting and depending on Him over this past year, which I hope will one day be worth the pain. Therefore, I have decided to overlook the disappointing year behind and enter the new year ahead. I am not going to go over the top though, and I only have a couple of new goals: 1. Consistent blogging and journaling. My life is passing me by! I want to remember it. 2. Memorizing Scripture. This has been a thing that I have always been telling myself that I need to do. However, I am terrible at memorizing. I hate it, it takes me a long time, it's hard. These, of course, are all poor excuses, hence why it's time. I', not sure where I'm going to start yet, but I'm leaning towards Romans 12. I'll probably make more as the year progresses, but this is a start.