What is it about a sunset that I love? It makes me stop and put my life on hold as I gaze in awe at the beauty of God's creation. I stare in amazement as I take in the radiant and peaceful site in front of me and feel His presence surrounding me. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that anytime I see a sunset I will capture it, I have hundreds of pictures of sunsets. It's one of my favorite times to communicate with God, reflect, and thank him for everything. It's also time set aside for me, nothing is required or demanded of me, I'm not thinking about my to-do list, I just take time to enjoy the present moment. Sometimes it's even more special shared with someone else.
The Lord says, "I created the world gloriously beautiful, and I want you to appreciate beauty when you see it." Our lives aren't always meant to be busy, productive, and fast-paced. Learn to slow down and enjoy the little things. God's beauty surrounds us everyday we just have to take the time to see it. What is it that gets you to slow down and enjoy the works of The Lord? Maybe you have a favorite place or spot you like to go, maybe it's the sound of the river or birds chirping, the smell of a fresh pot of coffee staring out your window at a gorgeous view, sitting on the porch swing with someone you love, seeing the progress of your flowers or crops as they grow, the still of the morning as you sit in your deer stand, or the the feeling you get sitting in church Sunday morning worshiping with a whole community of believers..whatever it is, take time from your busy life to fully enjoy all of the amazing things God has created and provided for you. God's purpose is not for us to live a hectic life where we are constantly busy and in a rush, sometimes He forces us do less, disconnect ourselves from the world, be in the present, slow down, focus on our inner-selves, and find pleasure in the little things. He has designed a life for us to make time for Him and to relish in all that He has created. He delights in us slowing down to praise Him and all of the glorious wonders of His work. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."- Psalm 19:1 "Those who live at the end of the Earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy." -Psalm 65:8 "Earth is crammed with Heaven, you just have to slow down and look at it." "See the endless colors of the sunset, and know that I am holy God." "The man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest." "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Here are just a few of the many sunsets I've captured..I'm sure my collection will only continue to grow! Thanks for reading about my obsession with sunsets & why I love them, feel free to comment and share what gets you to slow down, feel God's presence around you, and appreciate His beautiful creation, I'd love to hear!!
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On a lighter note..here's a little something to make your Monday! This little girl put a big smile on my face, soo cute! There are always many 'unknowns' in life, that is why we have faith. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."- Hebrew 11. How grateful our hearts can be that we have a God who guides us down a perfect pathway He has created for our lives. I felt this very blatantly when I left for college, I faced many unknowns. I was excited and nervous at the same time. It's a time when we are forced to get out our of your comfort zone and away from routine and people we've been surrounded with all our lives. I found it to be a great thing, it brought me closer to God, allowed me to trust Him more, I learned and grew as a person, and met many people who made a positive impact on my life. Venturing into the unknowns strengthens our relationship with Christ, we give up our ability to have control and know what our future holds and we place it in His hands. Even now I often find God keeps me somewhere just long enough to get comfortable and then He says, "I have a new challenge." All of a sudden a new opportunity arises and I feel Him pulling me to explore new things. Just when you think you had it all figured out and things were going smooth, you find out He has something even better in store. A quote I came across, "Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending." We aren't capable of doing this journey on our own, that's why we're on a journey with Him. What a great feeling that no matter what journey we embark on the Lord will always be with us. All He asks of us is to trust Him and cling to His hand for strength and direction as we take the next step. Change can seem scary at first, but how beautiful that we have nothing to worry about, The Lord works all things together for good for those who trust and believe in Him. When we try to figure everything out ourselves we're exalting our wants above God's plan for our lives. Let go of fear and invest your energy into trusting Him. He asks us to lean on and be confident in Him with all of our heart and mind as he leads us down our life path, even when we can't see the way before us. He can see yesterday, today, and forever and He knows how our lives fit together. He won't allow us to go backwards. Prayer of the day: "Dear Lord, please help me to have confident Trust in You as we embark on this journey together, put my worried heart at ease by filling me with your strength & love, and light the path before me. Amen." "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."- Josh 1:0 "God works all things together for Good"- Romans 8:28 "Trust in The Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding."- Proverbs 3:5 "Even when you're afraid, keep trusting."- Psalm 56:3 "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself." - Matthew 6:34 "As for God, His way is perfect." -Psalm 18:30 I'm all about the quotes, folks!: "The Bible says 'Fear not!" 365 times, one for each day of the year." "Only God knows how it all turns out and for those who belong to Him, it turns out well." "Worrying about the future is not living." "If you figured it all out today, what would be the point of tomorrow?" "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and learn to love the questions themselves." "Change always comes bearing gifts." "The best way to predict the future is to create it." "The best thing about the future is it comes one day at a time." "I know God has a plan, I pray for direction to follow it, patience to wait on it, and knowledge to know when it comes." "Don't worry that you are not strong enough before you begin, it is in the journey that God makes you strong." "Be blessed with a quiet heart today..God is taking care of everything that concerns you." "Every morning I spend 15 minutes filling my mind full of God, so there's no room left for worry thoughts." Always remember that anything under God's control is never out of control, He has a perfect plan for our lives, He has the answers to all of our questions, he hears our thoughts & prayers, and His plan is far better than anything we could ever imagine. He is always with us and will lead us in all of the new journeys He has in store for our lives. Don't be afraid to face the unknowns with a known God! Embrace change and eagerly walk as he writes your story! Blessings on your journey, thanks for reading!! "I am in charge of how I feel and today I am choosing happiness."
There is so much truth and power behind that quote. Every day we wake up we have a choice to be happy. Every day is a precious gift from God, let us be grateful & praise Him with joy! Happiness doesn't depend on the material items you have, where you're at in your life, who is in your life, how much money you make, or any other factors. It's sometimes easy to let situations, people, and circumstances have control over our happiness. It all starts with attitude. Positive thoughts lead to a positive attitude, which leads to positive outcomes, and a positive life. It's amazing how much control the mind has over us. I believe a positive attitude creates the pathway to happiness and success. Charles Swindoll once said, "My life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it." There are always going to be ups & downs in life, but we get to choose how we react to them. Ask yourself, "Do I have control over the situation?" If not, it's best to let it go, stop worrying about it, and not let it affect your happiness. If it's in your control, ask yourself what you need to do or change to be happy, and work towards it..starting with your attitude and the way you think. You'll be amazed just by changing your thoughts and not letting your circumstances have control over you how much happier you'll be instantaneously. I say this prayer often throughout my day, "Lord, please help me focus my thoughts on you and see life from your perspective, fill me with the joy of your presence...let the Holy Spirit guide me in my thoughts, words, and my actions." Have you ever noticed how contagious happiness is? When someone else is happy doesn't it make you want to be happy? One of my goals in life is that when people think of me, I want them to instantly think of someone who is happy, optimistic, full of joy, has a Christian spirit, and freely shares that happiness with others. What truly makes me the most happy is making other people happy. I have to share a story that I'll never forget. I was in college, it was a beautiful fall day with lots of sunshine, I was in the student union getting my latte at the cafe. I ordered my usual and without thinking about it gave the lady working a big smile and said thank you. She stared at me for a second and said, "A smile that bright deserves a free latte." I couldn't believe it, what a nice gesture. She told me I was the first person to smile at her all day. Here are some quotes I found in my journal that serve as good reminders to me each day: "Some people would love to have your bad days." "The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude" "There are no troubles that we can't rise above with a handful of faith and a heart full of love." "If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one." "An attitude of gratitude brings opportunities" "Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out." "Why wake up stressing, when waking up is a blessing." "It starts with your thinking. Expect to go higher, to receive good things, and to experience favor on your life." "Shift your focus from the problem, to the problem solver." "Faith is having a positive attitude about what you can do and not worrying at all about what you can't do." Above all, seek The Lord and his promises. Knowing we have everlasting life with Him makes everyday worth living with joy! "You have good reason to be joyful, because you're on your way to Heaven." "This is the day that The Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24 "My whole being is happy."- Psalm 16:9 The Lord says, "Come to Me when you are joyful, and I will share your joy..multiplying it many times over." Thanks for reading my blog! Comment below, I'd love to hear from you! Happy day!! *Scroll down to see previous blogs. Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story."
Mark 16:15 says, And then He told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." I've decided to start a blog to share my story. Last Sunday in church our pastor explained that your story doesn't have to be something extremely extraordinary to be told, it can simply mean sharing something that another can relate to. My hope is to share my experiences, blessings, setbacks, advice that has helped me, and things I've learned along the way. I love expressing myself and ideas in words. Words have so much power, words can carry endless blessings, words can help and heal, they can teach, words can express feeling & emotions..love, appreciation, joy, etc. God spoke the world into being by the power of His words (Hebrews 11:3). I think we often forget how easy it is to speak kindness. We should never underestimate the power of a kind word. It might change someones life, it could make their whole day, it could completley change their attitude, it could give them a whole new perspective, and it could inspire them to do the same for someone else. My blogs will consist of many different topics- anything I feel I want so share and feel passionate about! Here are some topics already coming to my mind..family, friends, school, health & fitness, wellness, relationships, love, faith, etc. My hope is that you can relate, learn, & grow. Maybe you learn something new, maybe it inspires you to share your thoughts & ideas with others, at any rate..I hope it leaves with you a positive perspective & was worth your time! Thank you for reading my first blog!! I can't wait to share more with you! Check out the 'About' portion to learn more about me! |