"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

You don't get the job you wanted, he doesn’t get into his dream school, her friendships are falling apart and they all arrive at the same question. Why do bad things happen to good people? Well..why not? Why can't bad things happen to good people?  Should all "bad" things always happen to the people that deserve it? Why should your "good" character exempt you from having "bad" things happen and how does one deem themselves "good"?  We are all sinners who have come short of the glory of God. One sin is not greater than another, all are seen in the same light in God's eyes. So who are we to say that we are better or worse than another individual only God can judge that.

So what happens if you did get into that school, land that job or maintain that relationship? Life goes by smoothly and you try to squeeze in time for God, some times you give God those full 5 minutes before you go to bed and sometimes not even that. Is that all there is to life? No bumps along the road and everyone’s happy? Look around, the people that have everything at their fingertips are still searching to fulfill their happiness.

Think about the last time you went through a troublesome situation, what happened? You tried to control the situation as much as you could until you realized it really was out of your hands, so then you looked to God. Our faith shouldn't be used as our last lifeline, but as a daily resource. When you finally met with God didn't you find yourself at peace? It would be nice if we took that initiative before the negative situations impacted us, but we don't. We need the ups and downs in life, to visually see how small we are in the grand scheme of things and how much we really do need God. Yes, it is unfortunate to go through these situations, but looking at the past you realize those worries you once had worked itself out. Life is not life without the good and the bad, just because something does't pan out as we planned, doesn't mean we need get all bent out of shape. Just remember, one closed door allows God to lead us to another opportunity.



Joshua 1:9: Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident. Do not be afraid or discouraged for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.

-<3 RSV

Waiting Room

Seems like every book I read and message I hear lately has been about waiting on God's timing. Here is a message in relation to the previous post that will encourage you through your waiting period.

https://elevationchurch.org/sermons/waitingroom




<3 RSV

The Waiting Game

Days, months, years go by and you are still waiting for a change, a new direction, an answer. It can be stressful living in a world where we are programmed to choose expresso shots and fast food to help us save a minute. We often become consumed by impatience from the mere idea of a long wait. We think, who has time to waste waiting when we live in a time equals money society? You may be the disappointed high school senior that got wait listed to his number one college. The hopeful young couple met with multiple negative pregnancies. The doubtful single woman praying for prince charming. The unemployed husband and father desperate for a job interview. Whatever stage you are in your life, whatever circumstance you are dealing with; waiting is one thing that we all have in common.

Have you ever stopped to think why you are in such a rush? Where are you going, what are you doing? Once we overcome the waiting period of one need, we find ourselves waiting for something new. You only have that minute, day, week or year once in your life, why are you wishing it away only to be met with more waiting? Look back on your life and think about the times you had to wait; how that period of waiting developed you and opened new opportunities. We can never see the light at the end of the tunnel during our waiting period. As difficult as it may be, during those times is when we need to be hopeful and know that we are in that place for a reason. Despite how gloomy it may seem, that experience will shape you and help you in your future opportunities.You may have been wait listed because you have better opportunities waiting for you elsewhere. The negative pregnancies may open up doors for a hopeful child to be adopted. Whatever it may be, life does not always go as planned, so don't let the negativity poison your thoughts, behaviors, and actions. It is important to surround yourselves with positive and uplifting people throughout your struggles.  During this time of waiting, be hopeful knowing that this period is preparing you for future opportunities. What will you do to change your perspective and accept the circumstances during your waiting period?


Micah 7:7   But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

-<3 RSV

Speak Peace

If you're anything like me, you like to be in control of everything that happens in your life. You calculate life to be a+b=c. If you accomplish this, this, and this then you will attain (Insert desired outcome here), but of course my friend life does not work according to our plans. So what happens when the waves arise and things don't go as you planned it to be, you become fearful, anxious, worry about all the "what if's" and freak out.  Note to self: Freaking out does not do anything more than make things worse. I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I have it all together and never freak out. Oh no, I freak out all the time even though I know better. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Some waves are created by our own doubts, some are created by our approach to the situation, other waves are created by listening to the wrong voices, and some are created by our unmet expectations. We need to take a step back and analyze where our anxious thoughts are coming from and speak peace to our hearts. Don't let your fears and anxieties overcome you, our God is bigger than our problems. Be encouraged and listen to this sermon. https://elevationchurch.org/sermons/how-to-be-brave

Let it Go, Let it Go!

Stress, stress, stress! Everyone deals with it on a daily basis regardless of your age, profession, or current situation. How we deal with this stress illustrates our personality and determines the outcome of our day. One thing that can compound your stress are difficult relationships. We are created for relationships, love and growth, unfortunately most of us try to function in a damaged manner in relationships. Wounds from past friendships via betrayal, feelings of abandonments, loss may have cut deep wounds that have yet to heal.  Instead of addressing it, our pride urges us to hide or stay numb to it; which is "functioning in a damaged manner". As a child I was told a story of how a man would hammer nails into a fence every time his son would hurt him. Every time the boy asked for forgiveness, the man would take out the nail, but no matter what the gaping hole would remain as a memory of the pain. Emotional pain has a way of leaving long lasting affects which we try to numb with the business of life, unfortunately we find ourselves back at square one when the business dies down. In order to have genuine healing from these old wounds, we must not fear but acknowledge our wounds in order to overcome them. If you had a cut on your hand you would tend to it, likewise we have to tend to our emotional wounds by next cleansing the wound. This may be done by talking through your issue with a trusted friend or by simply spending time in prayer for strength and discernment. When we choose not to acknowledge and cleanse our wounds we enter into bitterness which we unknowingly pour out onto those around us. These overlooked wounds can lead to a callused and corrupted heart which prevents us from flourishing in our walk. So that means the next step is to forgive. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is truly attained by handing ourselves and the other person over to God because only God can restore our hearts and endow ultimate healing. Human forgiveness provides mere words, but the memory of the offense lasts a lifetime. God can only provide us the ability to ultimately forgive in order for us to let it go.  Sometimes I have told myself, I'm not mad at God I would never be mad at God, I'm just mad at myself or the situation. I recently read from the book Stronger than You Think and these words were thought provoking " We do hate God, all of us I think. On the sly. If we dare not hate the Giver, we do dare hate his gifts. We hate his world, or we hate ourselves. When we shut our eyes to every reason we have for being glad to be alive, when we resent good things that happen to our friends, when our hearts stifle every happy impulse, we are nurturing a passive hatred of God." Mind= Blown Away! So stop blaming yourself, others, and God. There are so many obstacles that hinder us from growth don't let these old wounds be one of them. "When we forgive, we set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner that we set free was us." -Lewis Smedes Set yourself free and just move on. 

                                                                                                          -RSV

Stars Fell On Alabama (Cover) by Daniela Andrade x Hanbyul Kang

Great cover check it out!

Get Fit, Stay Fit

Oh man getting fit is something everyone desires, but its just so hard with all that delicious food tempting you at every corner! If you're like me you probably get hungry every two hours and have dreams of juicy philly cheese steaks and scrumptious coconut macaroons. Oh my, drooling. The first step in getting fit is having the initial desire which turns into  motivation and then committment. It takes 21 days to make a habit and only one day to break it. Each and every day we have to remind ourselves why we started in the first place; which hopefully drives us to keep running, lifting, and eating clean! Being fit is not just a fad to follow, it should be a lifestyle change driven by the simple desire to avoid preventable health issues. As a nurse, it's my job to encourage and educate you on adapting healthy eating habits and finding time to workout. You can do anything you set your mind to, stop making excuses, we can do it!