One year ago I was hitting a milestone...my 30th birthday. A lot has changed in a year. In November of 2011, a friend of mine asked if she could set me up with a guy she believed would be "perfect for me." The funny thing is, she had asked to set me up with this same guy 2 years ago and I had said no. However, this time I decided to say yes. My thinking was that the worst that could happen is that I end up with a good friend and that's that. It was the best decision I could have made.
On January 1, 2012, I received my first email from this guy, Sam. We emailed back and forth fairly lengthy emails until he asked if I'd like to meet in person. We met up at Prime Steakhouse and from the moment we met I knew something was different about this guy. We talked and laughed for over three hours and when I left the restaurant that night, I couldn't wait to see him again. From that point on we began dating...first seeing each other once or twice a week to seeing each other almost every day of the week. Sam began to take a place in my heart and in my life that I have kept reserved for a long time. I was quickly falling for this guy who just weeks ago had been a perfect stranger.
As we met the other persons families we began to see that this relationship was more than just a friendship. We began to enjoy all types of experiences together, including travel. You learn a lot about someone when you travel with them. I learned that Sam is a great balance to me. Sam is incredibly kind, thoughtful, caring, funny, sweet, hardworking, and is always full of surprises.
On April 20th, Sam took me out for a lovely evening and when dessert arrived he surprised me by getting down on one knee and asking me to marry him. I said yes! Sam and I are getting married on October 27, 2012! It is amazing to me that the "I" has become a "we." I couldn't be happier. Sam and I have been so blessed by God to become husband and wife five months from now. It has been amazing to see how God has led us to this point. As we've talked, we've had so many moments where we received confirmation that this is what God has in store for us. Each family member and friend that has met us as a couple have been so supportive and confident that God is in this relationship.
I am so glad I have waited on God's timing. There is nothing that compares to knowing that the man I am about to marry is the man that God has been preparing for me. My parents and friends have prayed, and I have prayed for the man that would become my husband. I know that Sam is that man and I can't wait to become his wife.
A year ago I would never have expected my life to have taken the turns that it has, but I am so excited to see what the next year...and God...has in store for me and Sam.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Almost...
Thirty. Such a small word...only two little syllables. Yet such an important word this year. This May I will be turning thirty. As I begin to contemplate this new decade, I started by looking back. Looking at this decade in retrospect was eye opening to say the least. Ten years ago when I was looking at my life I would have sworn to you that my 30th year would look different. Who and where I thought I would be is not where or who I am. But, I cannot tell a lie...I'm okay with that. :-)
My 20-year-old self expected to have a certain life by 30. I was to be married, have children, living comfortably in a nice house in the suburbs, driving an SUV (not a minivan) and working only because I wanted to, not because I needed to. Wow...20-year-old me was something else. Now I as draw nearer to 30 I am not dating, much less married. I have no children outside of the children of my friends whom I have adopted as "neice" and "nephew." I drive an economic car and work to pay each and every bill.
However, I am not complaining. I am rejoicing. God has brought me so very far since 20. This year I bought my first home. All on my own. I have the blessing of teaching 6th, 7th and 8th grade students every day. And I don't just teach them history; I hope I teach them how to be better people. I have learned how to be myself in a way I would never have imagined at the age of 20. I have a better relationship with my family than I could ever have imagined.
I am looking forward to 30. I have no idea what this year or this decade is going to bring. And I'm not going to sit around planning what the future may hold. I was recently reminded (thanks to a discussion with a friend about Disney movies) that "happily ever after" doesn't look the same for everyone. Each day can be the beginning to my happily ever after. Each morning I have the opportunity to wake up and commit to live that day to glorify God and learn to serve Him. Whether that is going to work, encouraging a friend, playing the part of "Auntie Em" so that my friends can have a few hours without their children underfoot, cooking a pot of chili to share with my coworkers or writing on this blog to encourage the unknown reader out there. I know that there will still be those who will wonder (or insensitively ask) when I'm going to get married and start having babies of my own. And to those, I will confidently reply, "In His Time." That is a truth that passes all understanding. His timing is perfect. Not always what we expect, but perfect nonetheless. And this is another year to live in that truth.
This year I am taking four trips by June...Washington D.C., New York City, Las Vegas, and Williamsburg. I've applied for a summer seminar that could take me to Cambridge in the U.K. to take a history class (nerd alert!). I am part of a church I love and am excited to become more involved. This is a new year. An exciting step in a different direction. A new house, great friends, loving family, and an outlook toward 30 that I never imagined at 20. I'm ready to take 30 by storm! To God be the glory, great things He has done!
My 20-year-old self expected to have a certain life by 30. I was to be married, have children, living comfortably in a nice house in the suburbs, driving an SUV (not a minivan) and working only because I wanted to, not because I needed to. Wow...20-year-old me was something else. Now I as draw nearer to 30 I am not dating, much less married. I have no children outside of the children of my friends whom I have adopted as "neice" and "nephew." I drive an economic car and work to pay each and every bill.
However, I am not complaining. I am rejoicing. God has brought me so very far since 20. This year I bought my first home. All on my own. I have the blessing of teaching 6th, 7th and 8th grade students every day. And I don't just teach them history; I hope I teach them how to be better people. I have learned how to be myself in a way I would never have imagined at the age of 20. I have a better relationship with my family than I could ever have imagined.
I am looking forward to 30. I have no idea what this year or this decade is going to bring. And I'm not going to sit around planning what the future may hold. I was recently reminded (thanks to a discussion with a friend about Disney movies) that "happily ever after" doesn't look the same for everyone. Each day can be the beginning to my happily ever after. Each morning I have the opportunity to wake up and commit to live that day to glorify God and learn to serve Him. Whether that is going to work, encouraging a friend, playing the part of "Auntie Em" so that my friends can have a few hours without their children underfoot, cooking a pot of chili to share with my coworkers or writing on this blog to encourage the unknown reader out there. I know that there will still be those who will wonder (or insensitively ask) when I'm going to get married and start having babies of my own. And to those, I will confidently reply, "In His Time." That is a truth that passes all understanding. His timing is perfect. Not always what we expect, but perfect nonetheless. And this is another year to live in that truth.
This year I am taking four trips by June...Washington D.C., New York City, Las Vegas, and Williamsburg. I've applied for a summer seminar that could take me to Cambridge in the U.K. to take a history class (nerd alert!). I am part of a church I love and am excited to become more involved. This is a new year. An exciting step in a different direction. A new house, great friends, loving family, and an outlook toward 30 that I never imagined at 20. I'm ready to take 30 by storm! To God be the glory, great things He has done!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Look God...New Legs!
Have you ever noticed that when we are struggling the most with what is on our plate that God may be blessing us the most?
There is a very special boy in my life. His name is Elijah Ramirez. Eli was born with what most people would say were insurmountable obstacles. Most recently, this included the amputation of both feet and the straightening of his legs in preparation for him to walk using prosthetics. (Get his full story at http://prayforeli.blogspot.com). In the blog entries since his leg straightening surgery his parents have written about the painful process for Eli in the physical sense but also the pain in their hearts every time their little boy says, “don’t hurt me” because his legs were so tender that even changing his diaper or picking him up caused him pain.
I’ll continue Eli’s story in a minute. How many times have we encountered life-changing events that have caused us pain? Have you, as I have, asked God why He would allow you to hurt so much? Have you cried out in your weakness, “don’t hurt me Daddy!”? In the last few months I have encountered some challenges in my life. Obstacles that seemed to put me at a standstill. How could I go on? Every time the phone rang I was afraid of the news it would bring. Sorrow after sorrow, frustration after frustration. But is has also been a learning time for me.
In a recent blog entry from Elijah’s mother, she said that Eli has recently become aware of his “new” legs. Recently, when his mom came home from work, he yelled across the room to her, “look at my new legs!” What a statement. Here his mother stands, having watched him daily deal with the physical pain of his surgeries as she and her husband deal with the emotional pain of even having to put their baby through this, when he exclaims, “look at my new legs!” Doesn’t he remember the pain? Don’t his parents? Elijah’s perspective caught me off-guard. This three-year-old has taught me more in three years about facing trials than I could have ever learned without him.
Do we not do that to God? He allows us to deal with pain. Not because He is “out to get us” but because He loves us. Then we make it through and exclaim to God, “look at my new legs!” Did God not agonize over the pain you had to endure? Did He not walk beside you, staying up all hours into the night when you were crying? Yes He did. And yet, we act as though our healing, our newness, our wholeness is a surprise to Him. Though it often surprises us, it will never surprise God. However, He (like Eli’s mom and dad) will rejoice with us over our new-found excitement and joy over our “new legs.”
As I write this, Eli is in Shreveport, Louisiana beginning the slow and painful process of learning to walk using prosthetics. How he does it, I’ll never know. But I know this, Eli will walk, and Eli (a child of three years) will continue to teach me (an adult of 29 years) how to look at life through the perspective of courage and endurance through every trial. I may not praise God at the beginning of each trial, but I eventually get through my stubborn, adult head that God is beside me, loving me, holding me and agonizing with me in the valley. Then He is rejoicing, celebrating, and laughing with me on the mountain top. We are so fortunate to have a God that doesn’t make sarcastic comments when we announce “our new legs” but instead, sweeps us into a hug of Holy proportions and exclaims, “Yes, and your new legs are beautiful!”
There is a very special boy in my life. His name is Elijah Ramirez. Eli was born with what most people would say were insurmountable obstacles. Most recently, this included the amputation of both feet and the straightening of his legs in preparation for him to walk using prosthetics. (Get his full story at http://prayforeli.blogspot.com). In the blog entries since his leg straightening surgery his parents have written about the painful process for Eli in the physical sense but also the pain in their hearts every time their little boy says, “don’t hurt me” because his legs were so tender that even changing his diaper or picking him up caused him pain.
I’ll continue Eli’s story in a minute. How many times have we encountered life-changing events that have caused us pain? Have you, as I have, asked God why He would allow you to hurt so much? Have you cried out in your weakness, “don’t hurt me Daddy!”? In the last few months I have encountered some challenges in my life. Obstacles that seemed to put me at a standstill. How could I go on? Every time the phone rang I was afraid of the news it would bring. Sorrow after sorrow, frustration after frustration. But is has also been a learning time for me.
In a recent blog entry from Elijah’s mother, she said that Eli has recently become aware of his “new” legs. Recently, when his mom came home from work, he yelled across the room to her, “look at my new legs!” What a statement. Here his mother stands, having watched him daily deal with the physical pain of his surgeries as she and her husband deal with the emotional pain of even having to put their baby through this, when he exclaims, “look at my new legs!” Doesn’t he remember the pain? Don’t his parents? Elijah’s perspective caught me off-guard. This three-year-old has taught me more in three years about facing trials than I could have ever learned without him.
Do we not do that to God? He allows us to deal with pain. Not because He is “out to get us” but because He loves us. Then we make it through and exclaim to God, “look at my new legs!” Did God not agonize over the pain you had to endure? Did He not walk beside you, staying up all hours into the night when you were crying? Yes He did. And yet, we act as though our healing, our newness, our wholeness is a surprise to Him. Though it often surprises us, it will never surprise God. However, He (like Eli’s mom and dad) will rejoice with us over our new-found excitement and joy over our “new legs.”
As I write this, Eli is in Shreveport, Louisiana beginning the slow and painful process of learning to walk using prosthetics. How he does it, I’ll never know. But I know this, Eli will walk, and Eli (a child of three years) will continue to teach me (an adult of 29 years) how to look at life through the perspective of courage and endurance through every trial. I may not praise God at the beginning of each trial, but I eventually get through my stubborn, adult head that God is beside me, loving me, holding me and agonizing with me in the valley. Then He is rejoicing, celebrating, and laughing with me on the mountain top. We are so fortunate to have a God that doesn’t make sarcastic comments when we announce “our new legs” but instead, sweeps us into a hug of Holy proportions and exclaims, “Yes, and your new legs are beautiful!”
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Love Deeply
Today is the holiday with which card, candy, and flower companies make a killing on something that will tomorrow be sold at 75% off and a profit will still be made. Yes, I am speaking of the business-created holiday of Valentine’s Day. Now, some of you will automatically assume that I am cynical and bitter. I may be a little cynical at times, but I am not bitter.
I have a heart near to bursting with love. It is simply a different type of love than what one shares with their significant other or spouse. My love is deep for my family, my friends, and most importantly, my Savior. Today I looked at pictures of my precious little cousins Eli and Sophia (http://prayforeli.blogspot.com) and my heart just grows with love for them every time I see them. I spent the day with my brother, who came home for the weekend from
Love comes in many colors. Today, my color of choice was black. Not because I’m a hater of Valentine’s Day, but because I think it is silly to wear pink or red just because it is a “romantic” holiday. Tomorrow, I have no idea what I’ll wear, but once again, it won’t be dictated by a holiday, but by the weather. J When I think about love I see colors like green, blues, purples, and yellows. For some reason I never see reds or pinks. Call me crazy, but love is so much more than one day.
I grew up watching the best example of love anyone could have. My parents. My parents, after 36 years of marriage, still hold hands when they walk in public. They go away for special weekends. They may not buy flowers and candy for each other, but they cook for one another, kiss each other, and re-affirm each other through their words and actions. That is true love. That is love that can’t be summarized in a singing card or fit into a box of chocolate. That is enduring and endearing.
However, the most enduring love we will ever have is that of Jesus. He loved me before I knew Him. He loved me even though I tried to run from Him. I know that He loves me more than any human ever could and He will continue to love me even if everyone else stops loving me. He has given me a new lease on life, a new perspective on joy and a new understanding of love. No matter who I spend my Valentine’s Day with in the future, I know the true, everlasting love is the one who lifted me out of the miry pit and loves me still.
May you experience God’s love in abundance!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Preparation vs. Relaxation
Well, it is the end of the summer....at least for this school teacher. One week and I will officially be back at work. Which brings me to my recent train of thought...preparation. There are so many things to do in order to be prepared for my students in the "fall" (it's still really summer when they come back). I re-structure my classroom, put up new and interesting things on my bulletin board, write out my plans through October, organize my desk, find new "soothing" music for my students to listen to while they work, and attend meeting after meeting about thrilling things like "what to do in an emergency" and "how to turn in receipts for reimbursements (again)." However, all these things, whether dull or exciting, put me back in the "school days frame of mind."
Open the fresh pack of paper, take out a new box of colored pencils, open a brand new text book, and take a whiff. Seriously. Try it. There's nothing like it. There are smells associated with going back to school (aside from sweaty middle school students in August). You savor those smells, because they will be gone before you know it. But they are all a part of the preparation stage.
I begin preparing mentally for the first day of school at the start of July. I get into my classroom to get some work done by the end of July. I begin writing things down the first of August. Then...it's official...I'm back. However, no matter how well I believe I'm prepared, the first day never goes the way you think it will. Heck, the first month rarely goes the way you think it will. Such is life.
What have you prepared for recently? A new job, a new church, a bible study, leaving a job, moving, facing an addiction, weight loss plan, dealing with depression? It doesn't matter the issue, I am always in a phase of preparation. I like to feel prepared. When I'm caught off guard, I instantly feel frustrated.
God doesn't want us to feel frustrated. He wants us to be prepared. However, we are preparing in a different way than we do for the first day of school. God is preparing you every day for the challenges that lay ahead. He prepared me to write this blog a couple years ago when I began opening up about my difficulties and victories with just one person. I wasn't ready to share my story with the world yet, but God was preparing me. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that HE knows the plans He has for you, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future." Prepare my friend! He knows what your future entails. You just need to prepare yourself by trusting in those plans. Is it always easy? No. Is it worth it? Yes.
1 Peter 1:13 tells us, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." He doesn't say, "here's everything you need to know." Instead He says, "prepare yourself, have self-control, set your hope on ME."
Now, preparation is the opposite of what most people would really like to do...relax. I have enjoyed a summer of relaxation. Lazy days by the pool, napping in the sun, going to movies, eating out with friends, no schedule, no work. It is difficult to pull yourself out of the mode of relaxation and go into the mode of preparation. So it is in our walk with God. It's much easier to relax and say, "I go to church on Sundays...that's when I hear from Him." It's easy to relax and "skip church this Sunday because I'd rather sleep in" or "skip worship and just make it for the sermon...that's the important part." God doesn't reward the relaxers! Yes, rest in Him, trust in Him, but don't sit on your rear end!
Prepare yourself! If you are prepared, He will use you. If you are prepared, He will surprise you with His outpouring. He loves you. The most important thing to be prepared for is eternity. Are you prepared? Do you know where you are going to spend eternity? In John 14, Jesus tells us He was going to "prepare a place for you." He desperately wants to spend eternity with you. He has prepared a place. Will you say yes?
Laying by the pool has been wonderful, but it is much more gratifying to say, "I teach middle school in hope of changing lives." It is great to go to church, but it is much more gratifying to say, "Jesus changed my life, therefore I am prepared to be used by Him."
Open the fresh pack of paper, take out a new box of colored pencils, open a brand new text book, and take a whiff. Seriously. Try it. There's nothing like it. There are smells associated with going back to school (aside from sweaty middle school students in August). You savor those smells, because they will be gone before you know it. But they are all a part of the preparation stage.
I begin preparing mentally for the first day of school at the start of July. I get into my classroom to get some work done by the end of July. I begin writing things down the first of August. Then...it's official...I'm back. However, no matter how well I believe I'm prepared, the first day never goes the way you think it will. Heck, the first month rarely goes the way you think it will. Such is life.
What have you prepared for recently? A new job, a new church, a bible study, leaving a job, moving, facing an addiction, weight loss plan, dealing with depression? It doesn't matter the issue, I am always in a phase of preparation. I like to feel prepared. When I'm caught off guard, I instantly feel frustrated.
God doesn't want us to feel frustrated. He wants us to be prepared. However, we are preparing in a different way than we do for the first day of school. God is preparing you every day for the challenges that lay ahead. He prepared me to write this blog a couple years ago when I began opening up about my difficulties and victories with just one person. I wasn't ready to share my story with the world yet, but God was preparing me. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that HE knows the plans He has for you, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future." Prepare my friend! He knows what your future entails. You just need to prepare yourself by trusting in those plans. Is it always easy? No. Is it worth it? Yes.
1 Peter 1:13 tells us, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." He doesn't say, "here's everything you need to know." Instead He says, "prepare yourself, have self-control, set your hope on ME."
Now, preparation is the opposite of what most people would really like to do...relax. I have enjoyed a summer of relaxation. Lazy days by the pool, napping in the sun, going to movies, eating out with friends, no schedule, no work. It is difficult to pull yourself out of the mode of relaxation and go into the mode of preparation. So it is in our walk with God. It's much easier to relax and say, "I go to church on Sundays...that's when I hear from Him." It's easy to relax and "skip church this Sunday because I'd rather sleep in" or "skip worship and just make it for the sermon...that's the important part." God doesn't reward the relaxers! Yes, rest in Him, trust in Him, but don't sit on your rear end!
Prepare yourself! If you are prepared, He will use you. If you are prepared, He will surprise you with His outpouring. He loves you. The most important thing to be prepared for is eternity. Are you prepared? Do you know where you are going to spend eternity? In John 14, Jesus tells us He was going to "prepare a place for you." He desperately wants to spend eternity with you. He has prepared a place. Will you say yes?
Laying by the pool has been wonderful, but it is much more gratifying to say, "I teach middle school in hope of changing lives." It is great to go to church, but it is much more gratifying to say, "Jesus changed my life, therefore I am prepared to be used by Him."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Courage
For the last month or so I have been learning a lesson in courage. Or should I say, many lessons in courage. I started studying courage at the beginning of May. One thing that caught me off guard is the true meaning of courage. Courage is an outward showing of inward confidence. It isn't an absence of fear, instead, it is the strength to take risks, to face and endure difficulty, and to withstand our fear. In other words, you have to experience fear in order to have courage. I am reading a book by Katie Brazelton and Shelley Leith called Character Makeover. In this book they go through important character qualities (humility, confidence, courage, patience, self-control, contentment, generosity, and perseverance) and help you increase those character traits in yourself. I have been living in the courage chapter for almost a month now. Mostly because it has been a great and much-needed lesson for me lately.
Esther, of the Bible, has a very dramatic story. I have studied it before, but it has been a great refresher for me in the last month to look at her story. Esther was a Jewish woman living in the palace of the Persian king (Xerxes) and he had the power to destroy the Jewish people. Esther took the risk to go before the king without his permission (punishable by death) and plead the case of her people. However terrified she may have been, she was going to do what she had to do...show courage. Esther didn't rush into the king's chambers and demand her way. She spent time preparing herself for the challenge. She put everything aside for 3 days to prepare to show the ultimate courage. When she did take the courageous step, she was heard by the king and her people were saved.
Now obviously, my courage is not needed to save an entire people. However, it is needed to save myself. I had to have courage to stop drinking a year and a half ago. I have had to have courage to stay sober and resist the temptation to drink. I had the courage to get help in battling depression and have since become a mentally healthier person. Now, onto my next battle. I have always battled with my weight. I have tried every quick fix, fad diet, and pill you can imagine. No more. I decided to have the courage to change my life. I have always been so afraid of failure that I just couldn't stick with anything. This time it is different. I took advice from Esther. I took time to prepare. I wrote goals and I also wrote out my fears and countered them with truth.
My first feat is a big one. Other than changing my eating habits so that I may become a healthier (and hopefully lighter) person, I am going to run a 5K in August. Crazy! I've never even run a whole mile, much less 3.2 miles. However, I have not only the courage, but the people surrounding me to support me. I am working at making changes. I am facing fears...the true meaning of courage. Fear acts as a prison. It keeps us trapped and powerless. Courage breaks us out of that prison and gives us new life.
I would like to end by giving you some encouragement:
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
2 Timothy 1:7
No matter what is facing you, no matter the fear you are facing, God can give you the courage you need to overcome. As I face some of my fears, I want to challenge you to do the same. Take charge, call out to Him who casts out all fear and take COURAGE!!! May God bless you in this courageous journey.
Esther, of the Bible, has a very dramatic story. I have studied it before, but it has been a great refresher for me in the last month to look at her story. Esther was a Jewish woman living in the palace of the Persian king (Xerxes) and he had the power to destroy the Jewish people. Esther took the risk to go before the king without his permission (punishable by death) and plead the case of her people. However terrified she may have been, she was going to do what she had to do...show courage. Esther didn't rush into the king's chambers and demand her way. She spent time preparing herself for the challenge. She put everything aside for 3 days to prepare to show the ultimate courage. When she did take the courageous step, she was heard by the king and her people were saved.
Now obviously, my courage is not needed to save an entire people. However, it is needed to save myself. I had to have courage to stop drinking a year and a half ago. I have had to have courage to stay sober and resist the temptation to drink. I had the courage to get help in battling depression and have since become a mentally healthier person. Now, onto my next battle. I have always battled with my weight. I have tried every quick fix, fad diet, and pill you can imagine. No more. I decided to have the courage to change my life. I have always been so afraid of failure that I just couldn't stick with anything. This time it is different. I took advice from Esther. I took time to prepare. I wrote goals and I also wrote out my fears and countered them with truth.
My first feat is a big one. Other than changing my eating habits so that I may become a healthier (and hopefully lighter) person, I am going to run a 5K in August. Crazy! I've never even run a whole mile, much less 3.2 miles. However, I have not only the courage, but the people surrounding me to support me. I am working at making changes. I am facing fears...the true meaning of courage. Fear acts as a prison. It keeps us trapped and powerless. Courage breaks us out of that prison and gives us new life.
I would like to end by giving you some encouragement:
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
2 Timothy 1:7
No matter what is facing you, no matter the fear you are facing, God can give you the courage you need to overcome. As I face some of my fears, I want to challenge you to do the same. Take charge, call out to Him who casts out all fear and take COURAGE!!! May God bless you in this courageous journey.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Movies and Real Life
Now that I have moved into my own place I have had more opportunity to watch movies...as I clean, as I write, as I cook, as I eat chili on a cold and snowy day. Movies take us away from reality. Movies give us the adventure our lives may be missing. They give us hope. They bring us to tears. We laugh, we cry, and we can get frustrated with the stupid things the characters do. But movies are not real life.
I think that's what is so great about movies. They are not real life...or at least not my life. Granted, I do burst into song on occasion (it's the musical in me), but for the most part, movies and real life are complete opposites. Today I was watching a "behind the scenes" of a movie. They did 137 takes for one scene and then cut and paste it together to get the perfect scene. Can you imagine? 137 chances to mess up and then have the best parts of those 137 chances put together to make a great scene.
Personally, I can't stand the thought of doing the same "scene" of my life 137 times. However, sometimes I wish the "best" of life were all that was seen. :-) That is our prideful nature.
I'm currently reading a chapter in a book about humility. It's not the "doormat" humility we often think about. My pastor recently preached about humility from 1 Peter 5: 6 - 10. We have to humble ourselves before God. Submit to God knowing that He is in control and is sovereign. When we are humble it necessitates our dependence on God. That doesn't mean we sit on our backsides and expect something to happen, but we are also not to fall into the lie of our society that God helps those who help themselves. It doesn't say that ANYWHERE in scripture. Instead we need to be alert, clear-headed, vigilant.
We need to be vigilant that our enemy, Satan, is prowling seeking to devour his prey. We need to be vigilant that we do not sit in false humility and instead allow Satan to redirect that humility into our natural instinct to take control for ourselves instead of allowing God to be in control. Instead, we need to remain firm in our faith by staying connected to our Lord. Faith is knowing God is who He says He is, He will do what He says He'll do...and that is all true regardless of our circumstance.
So...life isn't a movie. We don't have all our problems worked out in an hour and a half. We don't have all the answers. We do have the best screenplay writer ever. What we do have is a God who is faithful. We have a God that can restore us and make us strong and steadfast. We have a God who cares deeply about our desires and gives us clarity in His timing so that we can continue in His will. That is better than any movie. I do believe in a happily ever after...God's....in His time.
God bless and happy movie watching!
I think that's what is so great about movies. They are not real life...or at least not my life. Granted, I do burst into song on occasion (it's the musical in me), but for the most part, movies and real life are complete opposites. Today I was watching a "behind the scenes" of a movie. They did 137 takes for one scene and then cut and paste it together to get the perfect scene. Can you imagine? 137 chances to mess up and then have the best parts of those 137 chances put together to make a great scene.
Personally, I can't stand the thought of doing the same "scene" of my life 137 times. However, sometimes I wish the "best" of life were all that was seen. :-) That is our prideful nature.
I'm currently reading a chapter in a book about humility. It's not the "doormat" humility we often think about. My pastor recently preached about humility from 1 Peter 5: 6 - 10. We have to humble ourselves before God. Submit to God knowing that He is in control and is sovereign. When we are humble it necessitates our dependence on God. That doesn't mean we sit on our backsides and expect something to happen, but we are also not to fall into the lie of our society that God helps those who help themselves. It doesn't say that ANYWHERE in scripture. Instead we need to be alert, clear-headed, vigilant.
We need to be vigilant that our enemy, Satan, is prowling seeking to devour his prey. We need to be vigilant that we do not sit in false humility and instead allow Satan to redirect that humility into our natural instinct to take control for ourselves instead of allowing God to be in control. Instead, we need to remain firm in our faith by staying connected to our Lord. Faith is knowing God is who He says He is, He will do what He says He'll do...and that is all true regardless of our circumstance.
So...life isn't a movie. We don't have all our problems worked out in an hour and a half. We don't have all the answers. We do have the best screenplay writer ever. What we do have is a God who is faithful. We have a God that can restore us and make us strong and steadfast. We have a God who cares deeply about our desires and gives us clarity in His timing so that we can continue in His will. That is better than any movie. I do believe in a happily ever after...God's....in His time.
God bless and happy movie watching!
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