Steeped in Thought

 I was reading through some of the blog post ideas that I had written in the past, and this one caught my attention. "The colors of the sunrise sing Your praise. It's a simple, yet profound, reminder that no matter what happens today, God is still in control. He knows exactly what is going to happen, and none of it is a mistake. We don't always know what God is up to, but we can always know it is good. I'm sure the tapestry analogy is quite old by now, but it's a pretty good analogy for 2020. We see the back, with all the threads running crazily, a jumbled mess, it's extremely difficulty to make out what the picture is. God sees the front, the whole picture, He knows where each string is supposed to go because He can see where it fits, and wherever it goes it will make the picture more beautiful. He's not confused or concerned it won't turn out. We have to trust the Creator, the Author, the One who Restores broken things. He's got this." I wrot...

 It may sound cheesy, or simple, or boring to you. However, there's something magical about setting aside time to stare up into the night sky. It's so quiet, and peaceful, and entirely wonderful to see the countless stars. If you go stargazing with a friend, it's even better. It's a time that invites insane giggles, and deep conversations. So load up on snacks, wear some comfy clothes, grab a sweatshirt (believe me, you'll need it), and pick a night to go stargazing with a friend. It's very easy, all you have to do is find a place, away from the city, where the stars shine brightly, and then go there. My best friend Dolly and I went stargazing last summer. Somehow we picked the clearest night, and we were even able to see the Milky Way. We also saw something like 5 shooting stars. It was a beautiful night. Before hand, we went to DayNite donuts, because they are open late, so we could have donuts while we watched the sky. They were delicious. It was extremely ha...

I'm at a point in my life where things are changing. It seems that the winds have shifted, and things are about to hit a switch. I'm not sure which direction things are going, but there are a few things that are most prominent in this change.  I've graduated from college, I accomplished this feat in June 2021. This great personal victory came shortly after a great family trial. This trial caused a split in my family, and it may be a long time before that split is healed. Seasons of change. Our lives as a family have altered. There is now a greater amount of responsibility on each of us, but there is also a greater freedom in our daily activities.  Graduating from college has removed one of the greatest demands on my time and finances. Getting a job as a medical scribe has provided me with income, and a greater insight into the world of medicine, which I hope to join someday. I now have more freedom to do whatever I like, but again, there is responsibillity.  I must plan ...

Today at church we got to watch a discussion between our church leaders and Admiral Chaplain Barry Black. It was so good to hear his persective and his story. Something he said really stuck with me. "Love your neighbor as yourself" and "people don't realize the power that prayer has".   I just want to touch on these for a minute. I've heard a lot of different perspectives recently, some people are saying we just need to love each other more, while others are saying loving people isn't enough. I would offer this thought: when we truly love other people, all the other things will follow.  When we truly love people, as God does, we will come to respect them, we will come to treat them kindly, we will come to treat them as our equals. Just as we come to to obey God, listen to Him, and follow His will. Love, it's not just caring about someone, it's a willingness to act. It's a desire to help, to take care of, and nurture. It's also the need ...

Words. Sometimes they come so easy, like when we're passionate about something, or when we're mad about something. Then other times, words are harder to put together. Like when your friend is telling you something, and you want to respond the right way. Or when you're trying to convey an idea, or talk about an abstract concept. Or when you're trying to explain your own thoughts and feelings about things. My best friend has recently helped me come to realize that I have a hard time materializing my thoughts and opinions. She's been amazingly in-tune with my responses to things she talks about, probably even more so than I have been. I hadn't really thought about the fact that I tend to withdraw from discussions about controversial topics. I think there are many parts and reasons to why this is. Part of it is conditioning, I'm around people who loudly express their opinions, with little room for discussion. Part of it is I don't want to hurt the peopl...

Why can't we be more like the birds? They care nothing for politics, they're not upset about the latest legislation that was proposed. They care nothing for how it will affect them. They don't care whether or not they should leave their home because of these potential new laws. Yet birds are the happiest creatures. They are constantly singing, and flitting about. Birds are happy, they're not stressed out about the negative things that happen in the world. They don't worry about what will happen. As Jesus says, "consider the ravens, they do not sow or reap... yet God feeds them... Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?... Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:24-32) Why do we worry? God's got this. He knows exactly what will happen and why. Why can't we be more like the birds?