My New Best Friend Named Lies

I remember the first time I heard you.
You were like beautiful music in my ears.
You came so suddenly I didn't know how to take you in; but I did.
I wrapped my arms around you and gave you a hug as if we were best friends, but
I remember when you left me,
When the other one came in.
The sound was like screeching metal and it made me cringe.
Instead it pushed me down and wiped away my grin.
I got back up and wiped the dust from falling to the ground,
But eventually I was consumed by all its words; I drowned.
The first one tried to fight its way back into my arms again,
But you won out because you've had more time with your tricks and games you play.
So I waved goodbye to truth in hopes we'd meet again
And I cowered down passing by my new best friend named lies.

I wrote this poem the other day because I have a tendency to believe lies. Lies others tell me and lies the devil tries to deceive me with. Usually the lies win out because we feel more comfortable believing them instead of claiming victory, but I want to challenge you to claim the victory over lies. Believe in truth; which essentially is Jesus.

Needle and Thread

I don't think I've had a time in life where I could say, "I'm completely ready."
Like, "Oh! I'm fully prepared' or 'I haven't missed a thing."
Instead, I think I've been the opposite.
Underprepared.

I always pack my suitcase too full in case I need a couple extra sweaters if it's cold,
but I never manage to pack enough kleenex to wipe away the tears from the wind.
I always manage to wear enough layers when the snow is pouring down,
but never enough blankets to warm myself up when I come inside.
I always manage to grab too much makeup off the shelf,
but never enough face wash to clean it off.
I always manage to meet my expectations,
but never to the full degree I intended in the first place.
I always manage to aim high,
but never shoot the arrow far enough.
I always manage to win at things I'm really good at,
but never take a loss as a lesson to help me succeed.
I always manage to fall in love,
but never buy enough bandages to fix my broken heart.

You can never be too prepared, so don't waste your life on getting all the loose ends sewn together, but rather on the needle and thread.

Trust Issues? I have a solution.

This summer has been a challenge. I moved away from familiar territory to something different and new. I have found myself angry, sad, irritated and bitter since I moved away. I have also found myself asking God why He wanted me to move and every time He answers me the same.

He has been speaking to me a lot about (in a nutshell) trust. A lot of components come with trust. As defined in the dictionary trust is, 'reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.'

When God asks us to trust Him. He's asking us to confide in Him. Give Him everything: our talents, strengths, insecurities, sins, weaknesses, pasts, presents and futures. 

EVERYTIME I have given some struggle to God , He has showed up. He has gotten the glory and showed me so much about myself: Who I can be in HIM, How I can be in HIM, Where I can go in HIM and what I can do in HIM.

No matter how hurt you are or how badly your trust has been broken; His arms are everlasting, His love is never ending, His promises are always true and He IS trustworthy.  

Disconnected

In the midst of adversity, I find myself penning my collective thoughts on a pressing issue I'm facing in my life.

So here I am,once again, with a problem that can be resolved, but merely by something that is higher than I, a change in perspective and an inward evaluation.

The last couple weeks have been, well...difficult. Being a full-time student and an employee or in others cases: a parent, a full-time employee, or whatever your occupation may be; this can relate to you. 

Humans. We are all humans I would like to assume (except for the occasional few who we think may be from a different planet) , but we all have one thing in common: each other.

Humans constantly want to and desire to be connected to other humans. Studies have shown that having connections and relations with others will decrease your health risks, stress factors and increase the longevity of your life. 

With that being said, what are the sacrifices we are willing to make to have these bonds with other homo-sapiens. Would we murder someone for acceptance? Would we steal to make to fit into a group? 

I mean, these are extreme examples, so let me get down to a level where I think we can all relate. 

Would you ever join in with gossip so you don't look like the odd one out? Would you ever go to a party because you want to fit in even though that's against your moral beliefs? Would you ever curse to make your coworkers think you're 'cool'? Would you spread a rumor to get someone to notice you?

I'm sure you can relate to one of these. I know I can relate to all of them. I'm guilty as charged, but that can and has been changing over time.

Some of this we blame on immaturity, jealousy and maybe lack of judgement on the situation. In the long run, these extremities we go to in order to get the temporary satisfaction of people not thinking illy of us; aren't helping. 

Connections are meant to be healthy. Connections with other people don't have to look like gossip, rumors, envy, or going somewhere you shouldn't. We are meant to make connections so we can grow and learn and be better from each other. Being connected with others and wanting 'fit in' isn't a new age idea. This has been around since the beginning of time. God gave Eve to Adam in the garden. Jesus had a group of disciples and friends He did almost everything with. Connections are real and they are meant to happen, but I think sometimes we lack an understanding of what we are doing when we are agreeing with a group of people we barely know that Sally is 'weird' because  she dresses differently than you. Maybe Sally can't afford new clothes because she got laid off at work or maybe no one ever took the time to connect with her on a deeper level to teach her how to properly dress because no one ever cared. I think it's eye opening to step out of our comfort zones and connect with someone we usually wouldn't or to keep our mouths shut when someone's spreading rumors or to stand up for what is morally right. 

Like I said, we are all humans and all humans want to feel and be connected.

So, the next time you want to feel 'connected' with someone or a group of someone's, practice integrity, be a morally sound connector, stand up for what's right, get plugged in to conversations for the right reasons and dig a little deeper for a connection that will never get disconnected. 

The Most Expensive Thing You'll Never Buy

Once upon a time, there was a little boy and a little girl. They went everywhere together. Every day they would go on a new adventure. They would build sand castles, sing a made up melody, laugh at jokes that no one else would understand and watch the sun go down. But at the end of every day, they would exchange their most valuable possession they owned and go their way. This process was repeated every day until one day; the little girl said ‘no’ because in her heart she knew. She knew it wasn't right to exchange a possession for something that could never be replaced.

          

A memory. A shared moment. A single smile. A look of hope. A hug filled with love. A picture. A present. A late night talk. A shoulder to cry on. A laugh. A memory.

            

Memories are priceless. Memories are treasures you can never get back. They give us hope. They help us dream. They take us places. They define who we are. Memories are beautiful and they have no price tag. You can’t buy it at a store or trade it on the lot. You can only lock it away forever in your heart and in your mind until one day; they all are lost and given to someone else through the times that you gave them.

Through life and death a memory will live on; never asking for anything in return and never wanting more or wanting less. Memories are priceless.

Quick Tip

When you trip; normally you fall. When you fall; normally you try to find a way to get up. When you get up; you're wounded. When you're wounded; you want to give up. 

My advice to you if you fall:

1. Get up

2. Wipe the dirt off 

3. Stand tall

4. Smile

5. Keep walking

Keep walking confidently, boldly, proudly, wonderfully, beautifully and strongly.

Everyone falls. Everyone has to in order to understand that diversity makes a person stronger, so next time you fall. Stand up and stand up tall.

I'm Dating Someone Special

There are plenty of stories that portrait love in a way that's compelling and almost believable, but what happens after the wedding? Or after the big scene where there is forgiveness? Most movies or storybooks leave this part out. I doubt they do it to make us buy into a lie that a romantic love has no fault but reality of the matter is; it does.

When I was little I told my mom that I didn't EVER want to get married and naturally when I was 13 I had my first crush. I'm sure everyone can relate to a time in their life where this was true.

As I got older, I had my heart broken and thought the world was going to end, and in turn I made choices that didn't reflect what I believe. 

I believe that Love is:

patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

The love talked about here is the love that Jesus portrayed in the Bible and the older I get, the more I realize that the kind of love I want is Jesus' love.

If that means I never meet the right person, I'll still be able to turn to the one that can give me more then any man. 

I'll never be cheated on, lied to, heart broken or hurt.

This love; is a love to hold onto. Married, single, divorced or searching because it NEVER fails.

Figuratively speaking; I'm dating someone special and He's the best boyfriend I've ever had!