Change: Good or Bad?
Have you ever noticed how things change so quickly? Sometimes things change without anyone ever noticing. Bad change seems to come in an overwhelming wave... and by the time it crashes on the shore there's nothing you can do. Good change is more difficult for us to acheive though. Doesn't it seem like anytime you want to make a change you do it, it goes well for a week, and then it's over? They say it takes 21 days to make something habitual. Why is it that we can allow "bad" change to happend so quickly, but when its the other way around, it's so hard?
Like for me recently, some stuff has happened and some things have changed and I don't think it's for the better, but what do I know in my tiny human mind? God is so much bigger than me, and bigger than the things that I want to or don't want to change. From here I could open up the arguement of want and need, but that's not what this is about right now.
This is about things around me changing and me not liking it. Also, things around me not changing and me not liking it. Change is a double-edged sword for me. I think it is for most people though. I think that it is easy to get comfortable with something or someone and when something comes up and things change it's hard. I'd love to hear what you think.
Searching for God Knows What
"Imagine, and Being with a mind as great as God's, with feet like trees and a voice like rushing wind, telling you that you are His cherished creation. It's kind of exciting if you think about it. Earthly love, is temporal and slight so that it has to be given again and again in order for us to feel any sense of security; but God's love, God's voice and presence, would instill our souls with such affirmation we would need nothing more and would cause us to love other people so much we would be willing to die for them. Perhaps this is what the apostles stumbled upon." --Donald Miller from his book, Searching for God Knows What.
I think this is beautiful. A lot of you have read Blue Like Jazz, so you know his writing style. He's very real and down to earth, but in a lovely sort of way. I'm only about half way through the book, but I love it. There's a chapter about Adam and Eve that's so beautiful it left me speechless. ( I know! I'm not quiet very often!) Anywho, I really want to recommend it to you. It's really short, only about 230 pages long.
It's not one of those "life changing" books that people so often look to find, but it's definitely worth the time. I find Miller to be thought-provoking. You're welcome to borrow mine when I'm done.
Here's one last passage for your reading pleasure.
"Considering this couple, and what Adam went through to appreciate Eve to the utmost, I wondered at how beautiful it is that you and I were created to need each other. The romantic need is just the beginning, because we need our families and we need our friends. In this way, we are made in God's image. Certainly God does not need people in the way you and I do, but He feels a joy at being loved, and He feels a joy at delivering love. It is a striking thought to realize that, in paradise, a human is incomplete without a host of other people. We are relational indeed. And this book, the Bible, with all its understanding of the relational needs of humans, was becoming more meaningful to me as I turned the pages. God made me. He knows me, He understands me, and He wants community."
Have a great day.
Balloons!
Where to begin?? Um, well this past weekend was Kayla's second birthday party and it was a blast. Funny story about it... Liz and I bought a helium tank and blew up balloons after she went to bed friday night. Saturday morning I woke up to Kayla screaming, "balloons?! Yay! Balloons!!" It was the cutest thing ever. But anyways it went really well and there were a ton of people there. Even my mom's brother came... which was totally shocking. (He's a jerk. I've seen him twice in the past 3 years and that's only been at funerals.) I got to spend time with my cousins which I always love! I came back here pretty early on sunday because I had to get up real early for work on monday.
This week I'm subbing all week, so it's good. This weekend Trent is coming and then I'm leaving for Phoenix on Sunday. When I get back from AZ I'm taking Trent to a Bill Gaither concert for his birthday. Why Bill Gaither? I couldn't tell you, but he loves it so why not? It'll be fun for sure! Meghan has asked me to put some song lyrics she wrote to music, so I'm working on that when I have time.
What else has happened. Uh, oh yes. I recorded my song for my dad and am really excited about the way it turned out. I think I may go back and add some more harmony, but other than that, its done. It was so much fun. Ben is awesome and was very patient with my lack of experience. He was able to add a really beautiful second guitar part and I love it. Now I'm really looking forward to just giving it to my dad. I don't wanna wait til Christmas, but I will I suppose.
Other then that I don't think anything big has been going on. God is doing some cool things and is really working, no surprise there. I don't have a verse right now, but I hope that something encouraging come your way today. Cool story... before I recorded I wasn't feeling very well. Like, I could feel that I was about to get a cold. So I prayed that I would be able to record and do this without any problems. I prayed that my health would hold out just long enough to get it done. It did and I kid you not, literally 5-10 minutes after I got in my car leaving Ben's house I started sneezing. And I mean like really sneezing. I definitly got sick right after I was done recording. I thought it was cool. I was actually kinda glad to be sick because it was a reminder of God's faithfulness and blessings on my life. Sounds a little hoakie (sp?) but it's true.
Well here is a picture of Kayla from her party. I hope you're having a great week!
My life... in list form
A couple things...
1. I went to see the Broadway version of RENT last weekend and it was amazing. There's no other way to describe it. Sitting outside in the cold on the freezing concrete for 9 hours was totally worth it. I was very impressed!
2. I'm heading into the recording studio to lay down a song that I wrote for my dad during my junior year of high school. It's very simplistic, but I know he'll love it. I'm gonna add some harmony and hopefully my friend, John Dudich will be able to add a cool guitar part to what I already have. I sang it and played it for him on Father's Day the year I wrote it, so I'm really excited to make it sound better! My friend Ben will be adding drums, maybe some piano, and mixing it for me. Ben has the studio in his house, so it's perfect.
3. I'm a little TO'd because I've been "getting sick" for about a week now. You know how you feel right before you get a full blown cold? That's how I've been feeling and I wish it would just come so that it would leave! (hopefully it doesn't come when I have to record. that'd sound awful!)
4. I'm going home for thanksgiving, as in AZ and I'm actually kinda excited about it. I wasn't at first because I'm missing some things back here, but it'll be good. I'll be helping my parents move into their new house... finally.
5. In case you haven't talked to me in the last two weeks... my parents are moving back up to IL!! After 8 years of being in AZ they've decided to build a new house out in Plano. They're going to keep the house they have in AZ so that when the weather is too bad for my dad to be up here, he has somewhere to go. I'm so freakin excited about it, I can't even describe it!
6. God has continued to be faithful and amazing. What else can you expect though? This is not to say that life is perfect because again, if you've talked to me in the past couple of weeks you know that it hasn't been. Satan has been working overtime to break me down, but God has been strengthening me and preparing me, so I'm handling it to the best of my ability. Prayers are welcome. (strength, peace, patience, discernment)
7. I've been kind of amazed lately by other people. There have been a few times when I'm thinking something and someone else actually has the guts to say it, or write it out for others to see. It's interesting.
8. " If you tell the truth- you don't have to remember what you said." This is from a poster in a classroom I taught in a couple of weeks ago.
9. Subbing is still going well... not as well as it is for Trent, but maybe if I move to Ohio it'll be better. (He's making quite a bit more money than I am for doing the same darn thing)
10. I'm thinking about going back and getting my teaching degree because I only need a few more classes to complete it.
11. My b-day is in less than two months. Better get shopping!
12. Kayla is turning 2 in exactly one week! Whoa!
13. 2 Cornithians 4:17 and 18 says: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
So that's about it for me. See you cats on the flip side.
