The Times and Toils

When tragedy sets in there is no way of understanding the cause. The questions of:
"Why did this happen?"
"Where did I go wrong?"
flood the mind and drag the heart down with it.

What is most difficult to remember is that the Bible speaks of such events and how to handle these. They are my most favorite verses because when I cry or simply feel I must break down but could never get back up, my Father is there to comfort me and help me onto my feet again.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 He speaks of time. 

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

² a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³ a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace."

He doesn't stop there though... 

After giving comfort in times of pain, reminding you that it's ok to cry, ok to laugh, rejoice, love, and embrace. He also gives you tools on how to manage those times of pain. In these verses they are called toils. The definition for toil is hard continuous work; exhausting effort. 

Haven't we all been there? 

You try and try harder! Yet you feel that you have gotten nowhere. As if you're running a race, putting all your efforts into this, feel exhausted... but you haven't even moved from the starting line. 

Here is what the Bible says about these toils in Ecclesiastes 3:9-15:

^" What gain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
¹⁴ I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. ¹⁵ That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away."

Now this text is one of the most misinterpreted in the Bible. Solomon was not saying for people to go get drunk and fatten themselves up just because they were upset about the amount of work they had to do. He was saying "rejoice in your troubles so that God may be glorified through you." 

As seen in verse 14 -- "God has done it, so that people fear before him."
Fearing God does not mean that you are afraid of Him. It means that you respect Him and honor Him. 
In verse 15 -- " God seeks what has been driven away."
Though you may have lost someone, though something may have been taken from you (time, money, a loved one)... The Lord wishes to see His disciples use this toil for His glorification. So that all may see Him through you.

Many of us have heard the common phrase "let others see God through you." It is preached in almost every Christian church around the world. Let those around you know that God is the reason you are able to wake up every morning, get through your day with a smile on your face, and do it all again the very next day even though you may be going through a hard time. 

Never once does it say in the Bible "hide your toils" ...... it says "take pleasure in [your] toils!"

What Will He Find?

This morning I decided to do my devotion differently and do a web search for all verses related to "signs."

This phenomenon has become so popular in our culture and everyday life, so I wanted to know what the Bible said about relying on signs (even if they are thought to be God-given). Sadly, I wasn't able to find much, besides the occasional Revelation reference and signs related to evil concepts. That was before I came across this last verse which hit me like a brick:

 

Luke 18:8

 "I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

It really made me think... have I been truly faithful to the One who deserves my devotion or have I been placing my faith in other, less worthy, things of this world? 

Within my web search, and along side this very verse, were verses reminding us that we don't know the day or time in which the Lord will be returning. This brings me back to Luke 18:8... "will He find faith on earth" when He returns? My first impression was OUCH, what have I been doing with myself these past few months?! Nothing but worrying about those around me and school. 

Not once just stopping to thank my Creator for a sunny day, or even for the rain. Not once did I get on my knees and tell Him how much I love Him and appreciate Him giving me another day. Have you?! Will he find faith in your household when He returns to earth? This is so powerful to think about. Are you trusting in the world, yourself, someone else, or in the God who holds our universe and others like it in His mighty hand?

My challenge is for each and everyone of us to meditate on this verse, post it somewhere to see every morning. This is our reminder to place our faithfulness in Him. THIS is our sign. THIS is our slap in the face from the Almighty.

Get Out of the Ocean!

Discouragement... What does that feel like?

Heavy,

Dark,

Never ending?

Something commonly experienced this same way is known as responsibility.

These past few weeks I've been encountering a ton of that word. From gaining more hours at work (which is a definite blessing in disguise!), struggling with a car that has the temperament of a six year old and the physicality of an 86 year old, and balancing the challenges of two online college courses.

Dealing with these trials brought on a tumble-weed of emotions! These ranged from discouragement, anger, panic, unusual elation (brought on by exhaustion), numbness, and at one point even a slight case of depression. One trial after another presented itself to me like a never ending wave. Currents of hardships began driving me further and further out into a storm driven sea. The peaceful shore was the size of a button on the shirt of a well dressed salesman. It seemed impossible to ever reach again.

BUT!

This is what makes our God so unimaginably great and mighty! When all seems lost and the light just seems too far away.... He lights up the entire room! No more running towards a light that gets further and further away like a light house on the dusty shores of the bay. No more digging through dirty clothes for that bright knit at the bottom of the large overwhelming pile of a horrible day. He brings the light to us. 

All you have to do is stop. When you fight the current it pulls you further out. If you lay back and float the Lord of all Creation will hear your cries and answer. He will reach down His glorious hand and pull you out of the water. 

I found this picture on tumblr this afternoon when I was taking a much needed break form a lot of homework. I believe it's the perfect reminder that when we are going through something tough it's not going to last forever. No matter how it may seem that trial is not going to last. Our God is stronger and as long as we are faithful He will be faithful in answering. We work for Him. So when life is pulling us away from our happiness on the beaches of His glory, just remember, He's about to promote you to a better position. The way I see it...

You're probably in training.

Good & Bad

Thought for the Day:

Often times I look around and I wonder what is good and what is bad in this world and then I think to myself... at one point in time are they not the same?

I've thought of unfairness quite often this week. 

"Why did she get a better grade than I? I'm the better student!"
"How come Freshmen get housing and I don't? I've been here longer!"
"I'm a better person than she is, why is it that she found a place to live before I did?!"

It was as if the same amount of bitterness came out of my mouth as did prayer. I was asking God all the wrong questions. 

I have been suffering with a nasty stomach bug all week as well as trying to find a cheap place to live that is close to my campus. Plus trying to finish up my junior year of college. This has been a stressful week yet all I have seemed to do was blame the fortunate ones around me. 

This morning I woke early to finish a paper and do a bit of chores around the apartment. I sat at my desk and simply began to pray. That's when the Lord spoke to me. 

He reminded me about the passage in Matthew 19:16-17:

"Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?'

 'Why do you ask me about what is good?' Jesus replied. 'There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.'"

I had been so caught up in what was good that I had forgotten that there was only One who was GOOD. As I let God speak to me and bring me back to reality I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders! The stress of finding a place to live, worrying about who got a better grade than me, who got a house or apartment before I did, and stressing about if I will get a B in my classes or not was all gone. The Maker of the universe has my life under control. 

Many times we try so hard to measure ourselves up to someone else's successes when really our triumphs are all handled by the Lord above. So when my sun shines it shines because the Lord allowed it. When I wake up in the morning and taste that fresh air it's because my Father allowed it to be so.

  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I woke up this morning stressed and thinking I wasn't good but now I am alive again thanks to my Lord and Savior on this very very 

  GOOD FRIDAY!

Heavy Laden

Have you ever had one of those weeks where it seems like you're traveling through a long dark tunnel that has no light at the end?

Welcome to the beginning of my April!

Let me take you day-by-day on this journey. I'll skip Sunday for two reasons:
1. I can't really recall all that happened that day.
2. Because I can't recall what happened it must not have been all that bad. Thus, not worth telling.

That brings us to MONDAY!

The day started off really great! I was busy as usual and had a million things running through the to-do list in my head.

Everyday had it's ups and it's downs. The "up" to this day was that I got to talk to my sister for an hour on the phone. I hardly ever get to speak to her because she lives almost three hours away! She told me about this thing called the Polar Plunge that she was nominated for. 

** Once you're nominated you have 24 hrs to submerge yourself into an ice cold body of water and it must be videoed! Then donate $10 to the charity of your choice. If you don't complete the challenge then you have to donate $25 to a charity.

Well I was on my way to class when I get a notification from Facebook saying my sister has tagged me in a picture. So, I checked it out and of course... I've been nominated. Quickly I go through that to-do list one more time and the only chance I have to complete this challenge in NOW. I call every surrounding friend I have and find out who can video me doing this and what bodies of water we have close by. So finally my best friend, Dianna agrees to take me to the river. 

Here is the result:

Obviously that did not go so well... And here is a little secret about me... I'm a bit scared of drowning. 

That night I was writing a paper for one of my classes that was due the next day and my computer decided to stop working. Yes... stop working. The joys of technology! I tried everything to get it working again but nothing helped. So I decided to go down to the library and use one of those computers. By this time it was 30 minutes until midnight. One of my roommates came into my room and let me know that the library was closing tonight AT midnight. 

Convenient.

So.. That was Monday. I went to bed hoping and praying that I would wake up in the morning and the next day everything would be better.


Then I traveled into TUESDAY!

I woke up at 7 am so I would have time to type my paper in the library, turn it in online, take my computer to IT, and still have time to make it to my first class. Everything was going so smoothly! The morning was incredibly productive! I ended up writing TWO papers, getting my computer to IT, and still having time to go back to my apartment and eat a bit of breakfast before class.

But then I had my second class... Sensation & Perception with a professor that he and I share a common dislike for one another. He had given us the wrong exam the week before and was suppose to give us back the exam today for us to go over and listen to him explain. Instead... the class decided to explain for him and he decided to talk about why women are now allowed to ride on airplanes.

Well, this girl was already stressed out of her mind with a crashed laptop, papers needing to be turned in, extra credit due Thursday, Today being her boyfriend's 22nd birthday, working tonight, and no way to get anything done. So this confusion and everyone talking over everyone was simply not going to work!

After an hour and 15 minutes of my blood rushing and my brain about to explode the extra credit due Thursday was FINALLY explained and the exam was finally gone over and I was the first one out the door.

Then it was off to work! Messy hair and a baggy shirt. Not really dress code but I was too frustrated to care. 

But before I can ever get there I have to explain my bank. 

I was getting ready for work and making some dinner when I realized I needed to get gas before I headed to work. So I got online and checked my bank account. I knew I should've had some money in both my checking and savings accounts. But when I looked I had $4 in checking and barely $100 in savings. My heart SANK! I had service charges on my Student Account!!!

So, I immediately called the bank just to find out that they have been charging me for every time I made a deposit into my account. So if I transfer money from my savings into my checking I get charged. THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP!

I thank God for the amazing parents I have though! I texted my Deddy worried to death and he and my Momma handled it a lot more calmly than I had. They gave me enough money to get me through the week and stop my crying.

THEN I was off to work. That is where I found out that I wasn't the only one having a looooong two days. Seemed like everyone was having a dark cloud following them. So after work I made a cup of coffee, got a long hot shower, and went straight to bed.

THURSDAY!

I skipped Wednesday because I'm pretty sure I blacked it out for a reason. Not sure why but I can't remember that one either.

Thursday morning was just chaos!

I woke early because I knew I had a lot to do. Still no computer!

Today was registration day!!!
(Summer and Fall 2014)
At noon I typed in all the classes I desperately needed in order to graduate college Spring 2015. And no surprise with the week I have been having... I got none of them!

No time to cry though because today was also extra credit day in Sensation & Perception! I had 10 minutes to run across and take my make up exam. I grabbed my belongings and flew out the door. The exam was a lot harder than I had anticipated so I'm nervous to get my grade back this Tuesday. But fingers crossed!

Afterward I headed straight for the Psychology Secretary's office and was put on the waiting list for all the classes I needed in the Fall. A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. Then I was finally able to pick up my computer!!!

After ALL the school stuff was finally over I packed up my car and headed down to see my boyfriend to finally celebrate his birthday! The chaos of my day, while it was short lived yet horrifying, was finally over! I had a full tank of gas, a beautiful day, and a handsome man waiting on my arrival. 

SATURDAY!

Friday was fun. I got to spend it with Joel and buy him his awesome birthday present. Then drive home to spend the night with my parents.

Saturday morning my sister, brother-in-law, my parents, and I all woke up at 2:30 am and left the house at 3 am in order to be in Atlanta by 6 am for the COLOR RUN!!!

My sister, Misti, and her family joined us as well. It was unbelievably fun!

 After the run though I went to put my diamond rings back on and... they were no where to be found. I was the idiot that put them in her hoodie pocket and THEN took her hoodie off. They were gone. My purity ring given to me on my 16th birthday by my father and my promise ring given to me by Joel on our first Christmas together. Both of my most sentimental rings gone forever. Stolen at the Color Run. The most fun day I have had in a LONG time OF COURSE blackened by something so horrifying happening.

*          *         *

This morning I was straightening my hair getting ready work. We have bible verses on posted notes on our mirror in the bathroom. One of the posted notes reads:

  “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

I have been so weary and incredibly heavy laden! There is a song that says "Lord, I need You now!" That's all I've been saying since I woke up this morning. LORD, I NEED YOU NOW!!! I don't need physical rest. I need mental, emotional, and spiritual rest. I know someone out there needs it as well. So if you're reading this and you've had a week similar to mine then please know... You're not alone.

Setting the Bar A Little Too High

One of the most dangerous concepts of the human being, in my opinion, is the concept of expectations. 

We are all guilty of expecting something (whether it be big or small) in this world. 

Whether it be in:

• School
• Career
• Get together with friends or family
• A marriage
• Children
• A night out
• etc.

In almost every aspect of our lives we as human beings set a bar that we see ourselves, or worse others, reaching. 

But what if those expectations fail us? What if things don't turn out the way we thought they would? Do we run... Do we cry and pout about it... Do we put a fake smile on and tell everyone that "we've never been happier"?
                                           
                                             *      *      *

Well, I have an idea... It may seem crazy and not many people will accept it at first but those of you who are brave enough to accept change here it is...

Stop setting a bar.
Stop planning your emotions about what's to come before it's happened.

If we allow our emotions to flow naturally like they are meant to be (instead of hiding or expecting to act a certain way when certain events take place) then how can our expectations be crushed?! 

GOD HAS YOUR LIFE STORY... How about you walk along and listen to Him read it a loud to you instead of trying to finish His sentences?

Only by these "crazy ideas" can we begin to live happier more realistic lives. No more masks on Facebook and Twitter, no more crying alone in your bed at night because you realize you aren't where you thought you would be in life, no more going in circles making the same mistakes... because you have no expectations for how your story ends. God knows how your story is suppose to end, who it's suppose to end with, and where it will end. You only need to know where you are in your own story at this very moment. Are you where God wants you to be or have you set a bar that you are STILL trying so hard to reach? If I were you I would take a moment to "come to Jesus". Crawl into His arms and talk to Him about what you've been doing and where you're suppose to be. It may be the only way your mask will come off and your eyes will be open to the life you were meant to live.

Priorities

This morning as I finished studying for a quiz that is coming up today I realized I had forgotten to do my morning devotion. I was so caught up with catching up in class that I had forgotten to have breakfast with my Father (as I like to think of it). 

I use a daily e-mail I get from BibleGateway called Encouragement for Today. I opened my e-mail and my bible and began reading. Today's devotion was on prayer.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God,    and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

 That was the main passage given today. I realized that in order for me to see change in everyone else I must first pray that the Lord will change me. Of course that was the main topic of the devotion but what hit me the most was the emphasis on prayer.

What are my priorities?
How do I begin my day?
Have I prayed today??

As I revisited how I began my day this morning I realized that prayer was absent and I had placed studying for this quiz way before my Creator. 

I should've studied sooner.
I shouldn't have forgotten about this quiz.
I should've had a plan.
I needed to trust God not my own abilities.

Priorities

This is what I saw when I read this devotion. Yes I need to change myself before I see change around me. But first and foremost I need to check my priorities. I need to focus on my prayer life and less on my to-do list.

Lord, prepare in me a heart worth knowing You more. Give me the love I know I have for You. Set fire to my desire to know You more. Change me, Lord. I want to know You. I put my trust in You. I give my day, my everyday to You. In Jesus name, Amen.
 

Welcome to 2014

Beginning a new year is always an exhilarating experience. I feel blessed each time the count down begins and we watch the ball drop in New York City. Another year the Lord has allowed me to continue His plan and this wild journey! 

I spent my New Years Eve with my parents and family friends in my childhood home. I spent this day the same every year but the blessings  are always different. I always find something new to enjoy about being alive!  Bringing in the New Year with people you love and care about it something so very special.

The following days were a bit different once I left the comfort of my family. 

Work was alright, nothing special only tiring. Then the roommates moved in!
This semester will be....

WONDERFUL!!!

The balance of personalities in our apartment is simple perfection! I couldn't have asked for a better set of girls to live with for the remainder of  my Junior year. Two juniors, one sophomore, and one freshman all in the same apartment... wisdom, laughter, same interests, and just a lot of fun! We've already stayed up watching The Breakfast Club, finished a season of The Walking Dead, and have started a new tv series to watch as roommates. This hasn't been my luck since my freshman year at Reinhardt University! 

My classes on the other hand are going to be a challenge. I am in two upper level classes, one core class, and one class I was suppose to pass last year. Two may seem insignificant and easy but they require a lot of work. I will be doing loads of papers this semester and sooooo much research. Which I'm ok with but pairing this with work and wanting to see my family and loved ones it will be interesting. 

It was also interesting when my computer decided to die on me right before classes began!!! So for the first part of this week IT had my computer doctoring him up all nice for me. 

So, I'm a bit behind on my homework and papers already but the blessing is that IT is free and my computer is healthy again! My paycheck comes tomorrow and my fridge will be full. The cold weather is passing and the 3 quarter length sleeves are coming out. I ordered my books on Monday and they are coming today. Life is full of blessings and I will continue to count them as I write new posts and go about my day. If my day seems dark and cloudy then I will find the blessings. There is always a way God is using your "bad day" to teach you something or to be a blessing to someone else. You simply have to count your blessings.

Welcome to 2014