Ever feel as though no matter how hard you try you can never live up to the expectations other people have for you? It could be the expectations of friends, family, employers, or complete strangers. This is a bit how I have felt this past week.
It seems that friends always have someone else they'd rather hang out with or share their life with. Family has the expectation to be everywhere at once and to move on with my life. Employers expect that employees will pick up the slack of those other employees.
The world is getting to me this week. Somethings that wouldn't normally be a big deal, are getting me down. It seems like the world is spinning too fast and I just can't keep up.Maybe it is the added stress I have been under this past week, the fact that I am getting sick, or the dreary weather. I am not sure. But what I do know is that I am praying that life will soon slow down and those things that I can't control or change on my own begin to work themselves out.
"For I know that plans I have for you says the Lord!" That is a great deal of hope as I struggle with ways of the world this week.
Smile, for there is ALWAYS something worth smiling about!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
AWE
You stood before creation
Eternity in your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand
You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon your shoulders
My soul now to stand
So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, Oh God
Completely to you
So I'll walk upon salvation
Your spirit alive in me
This life to declare your promise
My soul now to stand
So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, Oh God
Completely to you
I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is yours
Eternity in your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand
You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon your shoulders
My soul now to stand
So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, Oh God
Completely to you
So I'll walk upon salvation
Your spirit alive in me
This life to declare your promise
My soul now to stand
So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, Oh God
Completely to you
I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is yours
Saturday, February 6, 2010
footprints in the sand
ou walked with me,
Footprints in the sand,
And helped me understand,
Where I'm going,
You walked with me,
When I was all alone,
With so much unknown,
Along the way,
Then I heard you say,
I promise you,
I'm always there,
When your heart is filled with sorrow,
And despair, I'll carry you
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand.
I see my life flash across the sky,
So many times have I been so afraid.
And just when I, have thought I lost my way,
You gave me strength to carry on,
That's when I heard you say,
I promise you
I'm always there
When your heart is filled
With sorrow and despair
And, I'll carry you
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand.
When I'm with you,
Well I know you've been there,
And I can feel you when you say,
I promise you (you)
I'm always there
When your heart is filled (when your heart)
With sadness and despair (and despair)
I'll carry you when you need a friend (need a friend)
You'll find my footprints in the sand. (I promise you)
Ohh. (I'm always there)
When your heart is full of
Sadness and despair, (and despair)
I'll carry you when you need a friend. (I'll carry you)
You'll find my footprints in the sand.
Footprints in the sand,
And helped me understand,
Where I'm going,
You walked with me,
When I was all alone,
With so much unknown,
Along the way,
Then I heard you say,
I promise you,
I'm always there,
When your heart is filled with sorrow,
And despair, I'll carry you
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand.
I see my life flash across the sky,
So many times have I been so afraid.
And just when I, have thought I lost my way,
You gave me strength to carry on,
That's when I heard you say,
I promise you
I'm always there
When your heart is filled
With sorrow and despair
And, I'll carry you
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand.
When I'm with you,
Well I know you've been there,
And I can feel you when you say,
I promise you (you)
I'm always there
When your heart is filled (when your heart)
With sadness and despair (and despair)
I'll carry you when you need a friend (need a friend)
You'll find my footprints in the sand. (I promise you)
Ohh. (I'm always there)
When your heart is full of
Sadness and despair, (and despair)
I'll carry you when you need a friend. (I'll carry you)
You'll find my footprints in the sand.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
I had a pretty rough day today. It was one of those days when nothing seems to go right and everything seems to go wrong. I did a fair amount of whining and a lot of sulking.
Then after I finished complaining to a friend I realized that life could be so much more challenging. I could have a medical scare or a serious condition. I could have family issues or many other more serious things to work though.
And here I sit whining and complaining and stressing out over petty things that don’t really matter. So today I am choosing to have a better attitude when things just seem to be falling apart. I will find the bright side of things and look for the positives. Today is the first day of the rest of your life…
Then after I finished complaining to a friend I realized that life could be so much more challenging. I could have a medical scare or a serious condition. I could have family issues or many other more serious things to work though.
And here I sit whining and complaining and stressing out over petty things that don’t really matter. So today I am choosing to have a better attitude when things just seem to be falling apart. I will find the bright side of things and look for the positives. Today is the first day of the rest of your life…
Saturday, December 26, 2009
i'm dancing but my feet are all tangled up
You know when you are little and you want something so badly but you know you will never get it? Perhaps it is a new toy, a puppy or having your birthday party at sea world. You continue to ask… beg…for it over and over again until you have gotten either 1 of 2 results. You either have annoyed the person so much that they have given in and just let you have it. Or you have annoyed that person to the point where you will NEVER get you what you are asking for.
As an adult we continue to do this, maybe not in the same repetitive manor or for the same childhood desires but rather seeking life necessities along with the occasional materialist items. I have recently found myself mentally doing the same thing that I once did as a child. Over and over again I tell myself I want/need this or that. One of the many perks of growing up is you get to be in control of your choices… to a point. You get to live your life and make the arrangements necessary to live it as you want to.
But what happens when you don’t know how to obtain the things in life that you want/need? What happens when the same desires swirl around in your head and you can’t seem to work out any practical way of achieving your goals? Is it time to start fresh and new? Do you seek the advice of a friend? Is there a solution you may have missed? Are there answers?
I wish I could tell you that I have found the solution, but sadly I have not. Unfortunately, as an adult the 2 outcomes that could have applied as a child no longer work when you become an adult. So if you have any words of advice I would love for you to share.
As an adult we continue to do this, maybe not in the same repetitive manor or for the same childhood desires but rather seeking life necessities along with the occasional materialist items. I have recently found myself mentally doing the same thing that I once did as a child. Over and over again I tell myself I want/need this or that. One of the many perks of growing up is you get to be in control of your choices… to a point. You get to live your life and make the arrangements necessary to live it as you want to.
But what happens when you don’t know how to obtain the things in life that you want/need? What happens when the same desires swirl around in your head and you can’t seem to work out any practical way of achieving your goals? Is it time to start fresh and new? Do you seek the advice of a friend? Is there a solution you may have missed? Are there answers?
I wish I could tell you that I have found the solution, but sadly I have not. Unfortunately, as an adult the 2 outcomes that could have applied as a child no longer work when you become an adult. So if you have any words of advice I would love for you to share.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Be strong
"Three in the morning,
And I'm still awake,
So I picked up a pen and a page,
And I started writing,
Just what I'd say,
If we were face to face,
I'd tell you just what you mean to me,
I'd tell you these simple truths,
Be strong in the LORD and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,
Last time we spoke,
You said you were hurting,
And I felt your pain in my heart,
I want to tell you,
That I keep on praying,
Love will find you where you are,
I know cause I've already been there,
So please hear these simple truths,
Be strong in the LORD and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,
From one simple life to another,
I will say,
Come find peace in the Father,
Be strong in the LORD and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
Thank God for each day,
His love will find a way,
These are the words I would say"
That about sums it all up!
And I'm still awake,
So I picked up a pen and a page,
And I started writing,
Just what I'd say,
If we were face to face,
I'd tell you just what you mean to me,
I'd tell you these simple truths,
Be strong in the LORD and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,
Last time we spoke,
You said you were hurting,
And I felt your pain in my heart,
I want to tell you,
That I keep on praying,
Love will find you where you are,
I know cause I've already been there,
So please hear these simple truths,
Be strong in the LORD and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,
From one simple life to another,
I will say,
Come find peace in the Father,
Be strong in the LORD and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
Thank God for each day,
His love will find a way,
These are the words I would say"
That about sums it all up!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
the little things
One thing I used to love are the little things in life. I'm not sure what happened but those little things have slowly become insignificant in my life. And instead of finding joy in them they cause an added stress in my life. Life can be very busy. Social/family expectations mixed in with work expectations make it easy to forget what it is like to take time for the little things.
I thought that I was doing a pretty good job not sweating the little things in my life until I was talking to a friend who made it clear that I am hanging onto things that really don't matter.
As I sat in my living room reflecting I kept thinking, "what happened to getting excited about snow, pretending you are in a make-believe land far far away, or believing in Santa?" As an adult I forgot what it is like to find joy in the little things. Perhaps playing make-believe or believing in Santa is not longer realistic. But, with the fresh snow that came this weekend I suddenly missed building snowmen, sledding, making snow angels, building forts in the snow bank created by the snow plow or catching flakes on my tongue. I forgot about the chore that snow can be. And the "burdons" that come with it like needing to pre-heat your vehicle before driving away. shoveling or icy roads. Instead I was thinking about the joy that something so simple and very much out of my control is. I gladly went outside in the freezing air to shovel the little snow that was resting against my garage. As a child I would have stayed outside in the freezing cold forever. Typically this winter I would go outside for 15 seconds just to travel from my front door to my warm car and whine about getting cold. Today I willingly bundled up and ventured out in the below zero temperatures to enjoy the beautiful weather. And it was wonderfully refreshing!
Working with children can also be refreshing. They look at the world with different eyes. They get excited about things that seem silly to adults. They believe in life with unwavering faith! They don't get worked up about the future and they go with the flow. As I reflect on this I am reminded about a story from the Bible that I loved as a child. Jesus is hanging out with some friends when small children want to come over to him. But his friends ask the children to kindly leave him alone. Obediently they scurry off. In the grown-up eyes of his friends they assume that because he is with grown-ups he wouldn't want to be bothered by children who should be off playing with other children.But Jesus turns and "He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
The child knew that Jesus was special and just wanted to be close to him. He wasn't there to make himself look good or fulfill any expectations. He just wanted to be near Jesus. We are called to live life like a child. Enjoy the little things in life. Play in the snow. Laugh until your stomach hurts. And certainly don't worry about the future, cause it is already planned out for you! There is no greater stress relief for me then to know that I don't need to worry about tomorrow.
Be sure to take time for the little things... they are what truly matter in life!
I thought that I was doing a pretty good job not sweating the little things in my life until I was talking to a friend who made it clear that I am hanging onto things that really don't matter.
As I sat in my living room reflecting I kept thinking, "what happened to getting excited about snow, pretending you are in a make-believe land far far away, or believing in Santa?" As an adult I forgot what it is like to find joy in the little things. Perhaps playing make-believe or believing in Santa is not longer realistic. But, with the fresh snow that came this weekend I suddenly missed building snowmen, sledding, making snow angels, building forts in the snow bank created by the snow plow or catching flakes on my tongue. I forgot about the chore that snow can be. And the "burdons" that come with it like needing to pre-heat your vehicle before driving away. shoveling or icy roads. Instead I was thinking about the joy that something so simple and very much out of my control is. I gladly went outside in the freezing air to shovel the little snow that was resting against my garage. As a child I would have stayed outside in the freezing cold forever. Typically this winter I would go outside for 15 seconds just to travel from my front door to my warm car and whine about getting cold. Today I willingly bundled up and ventured out in the below zero temperatures to enjoy the beautiful weather. And it was wonderfully refreshing!
Working with children can also be refreshing. They look at the world with different eyes. They get excited about things that seem silly to adults. They believe in life with unwavering faith! They don't get worked up about the future and they go with the flow. As I reflect on this I am reminded about a story from the Bible that I loved as a child. Jesus is hanging out with some friends when small children want to come over to him. But his friends ask the children to kindly leave him alone. Obediently they scurry off. In the grown-up eyes of his friends they assume that because he is with grown-ups he wouldn't want to be bothered by children who should be off playing with other children.But Jesus turns and "He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
The child knew that Jesus was special and just wanted to be close to him. He wasn't there to make himself look good or fulfill any expectations. He just wanted to be near Jesus. We are called to live life like a child. Enjoy the little things in life. Play in the snow. Laugh until your stomach hurts. And certainly don't worry about the future, cause it is already planned out for you! There is no greater stress relief for me then to know that I don't need to worry about tomorrow.
Be sure to take time for the little things... they are what truly matter in life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
