One thing that has been cropping up lately has been the idea of brokenness in Christianity. Everyone is always talking about how broken they are and that they are useless without God and all of these negative things. Our culture is so focused on the negatives and what we need to fix rather than the gifts that come from what we have been through. My biggest disagreement with this is the fact that we are not broken.
We are not broken.
So why does everyone say we are? Why does no one understand that just because they have a couple of scrapes and bruises from the journey doesn't mean they are broken? WE ARE NOT BROKEN.
God does not create broken goods. He creates a soul that gets tossed around but never breaks. Broken things cannot be fixed and cannot be used. You don't see everyone sitting down, unmovable because they are broken. We pick ourselves up and move on with life, knowing that it goes on and God can still use us. Things happen and they are difficult, but that doesn't make us broken.
There is a song that I really love by the Color Morale called Walkers and one line in the song says, "we are not useless, just used." And this is so perfect. We are not useless because God still uses us to do His will, but we are used because He is continually using us and making our lives into something. Most things that we work for are not easy and no matter what, we get our feelings hurt. However, this does not render us useless.
We need to WAKE UP. Get out of the mindset that you are broken. YOU ARE NOT BROKEN.
Christians are usually the ones talking about how broken and useless they are, and it's no wonder we all have poor self esteem. We keep putting this cloud over ourselves giving us a false idea of our potential. We could be capable of so much more if we realized we are not broken. Those that we serve in the missions field or in day to day life do not want to listen to someone who says that they are broken and useless. Would you put any stock in anything someone says if they don't think they have some sort of value? If I wasn't a Christian and someone was telling me that they were broken because they are a sinner and God was using their broken pieces I would not think it would be a good idea to become a Christian.
Give yourself a self-esteem boost and know that you are not broken. You are not useless. You have some scrapes and bruises and you are a little bit used, but you are not broken or useless. God does not create broken things.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Changes in History
I am always amazed at how God works in ones life. The things that we learn over time are hard, but rewarding and can change the way we view the world. Over the past six months I have undergone quite a few changes, but I believe they are for the better. The past, present, and future are all overlapping and aligning.
There are negative changes that happen and we begin to wonder why. They come from negative things and we try to step back and consider the source, but cannot find it. When we finally do, it is as if a train has hit us, blindsided us. Out of nowhere we are left to deal with a mound of change that we never saw coming. The only thing we want to do after that is lift our fist and scowl at the monster that just rode us over and left us for dead. But we cannot do that. The train has already left and we are forgotten, left to our own devices.
But out of this train wreck, we are also left with the opportunity to make positive changes. We can reconstruct and heal ourselves so that we can be stronger for the next train that comes around. We begin by taking all the old things that make us weaker or are just excess baggage from the last mistake and we learn from them. The baggage that is weighing us down gets evaluated and removed while the things that made us weak are plucked from off of us. Soon we feel lighter and stronger, knowing that we have made changes that are beneficial to us moving on and living happier lives. And as we continue with this healthy habit of stripping ourselves of these things, we feel the quality of our lives grow to be something worthwhile.
God uses these train wrecks to allow us to build ourselves back up with the tools He has given us and with His helping hands. He understands our pain and He understands our desire to change. He places the negative in our lives so that we can make positive changes out of those experiences. The dark is used so that we can see the light. Pull back the blinds and look at the sun shining through your windows. You can't live in a dark house because then you will never be able to see the mess you are in because you couldn't see anything. When you let God shine into your life and open up your house to Him, you will be able to see where you went wrong in the dark and fix it. And the more you mull around and sulk about it, the slower the process will be. God made our faces so that it is easier to smile for a reason.
Through the changes I have made in the past six months, I feel like a new person. Happiness is not a difficult thing to feel anymore and joy is a constant companion. God has given me reason to make changes and I have pulled back all of my blinds so that His light can be constantly shining in. I can see the messes left from past mistakes and bad memories. I am literally cleaning out my closets of anything that reminds me of those unhappy times and making room for less clutter and an opportunity to fit things that will remind me of my newfound joy. I am making room for God's new blessings. And in getting rid of the unhappy things, I am able to allow myself to forget how I used to feel. It opens me up to being happy all the time.
Change is a beautiful thing and I have always been open to it, but now more than ever I am ready for change. This is a lifestyle, not a habit that I will drop. I am enjoying the changes I am making and I can feel my quality of life becoming all that I ever wanted it to be. God has given me new opportunities and I am ready to take them on because my mind is fresh and de-cluttered from what used to occupy the space. I can focus on what is important now and see all the blessings that surround me. Change is beautiful.
There are negative changes that happen and we begin to wonder why. They come from negative things and we try to step back and consider the source, but cannot find it. When we finally do, it is as if a train has hit us, blindsided us. Out of nowhere we are left to deal with a mound of change that we never saw coming. The only thing we want to do after that is lift our fist and scowl at the monster that just rode us over and left us for dead. But we cannot do that. The train has already left and we are forgotten, left to our own devices.
But out of this train wreck, we are also left with the opportunity to make positive changes. We can reconstruct and heal ourselves so that we can be stronger for the next train that comes around. We begin by taking all the old things that make us weaker or are just excess baggage from the last mistake and we learn from them. The baggage that is weighing us down gets evaluated and removed while the things that made us weak are plucked from off of us. Soon we feel lighter and stronger, knowing that we have made changes that are beneficial to us moving on and living happier lives. And as we continue with this healthy habit of stripping ourselves of these things, we feel the quality of our lives grow to be something worthwhile.
God uses these train wrecks to allow us to build ourselves back up with the tools He has given us and with His helping hands. He understands our pain and He understands our desire to change. He places the negative in our lives so that we can make positive changes out of those experiences. The dark is used so that we can see the light. Pull back the blinds and look at the sun shining through your windows. You can't live in a dark house because then you will never be able to see the mess you are in because you couldn't see anything. When you let God shine into your life and open up your house to Him, you will be able to see where you went wrong in the dark and fix it. And the more you mull around and sulk about it, the slower the process will be. God made our faces so that it is easier to smile for a reason.
Through the changes I have made in the past six months, I feel like a new person. Happiness is not a difficult thing to feel anymore and joy is a constant companion. God has given me reason to make changes and I have pulled back all of my blinds so that His light can be constantly shining in. I can see the messes left from past mistakes and bad memories. I am literally cleaning out my closets of anything that reminds me of those unhappy times and making room for less clutter and an opportunity to fit things that will remind me of my newfound joy. I am making room for God's new blessings. And in getting rid of the unhappy things, I am able to allow myself to forget how I used to feel. It opens me up to being happy all the time.
Change is a beautiful thing and I have always been open to it, but now more than ever I am ready for change. This is a lifestyle, not a habit that I will drop. I am enjoying the changes I am making and I can feel my quality of life becoming all that I ever wanted it to be. God has given me new opportunities and I am ready to take them on because my mind is fresh and de-cluttered from what used to occupy the space. I can focus on what is important now and see all the blessings that surround me. Change is beautiful.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Levels
People are always coming and going in our lives due to different circumstances that make us realize where everyone fits in our own world. At one time, someone may have been more or less important to you than they are now. Even your own level of importance to other people changes and varies according to the status you carry with them. People constantly change, and like a snake, they shed skin to bring out the new person.
Some people are so often changing that you end up not knowing who they are no matter how much you try to get to know them. They change according to their friends or a relationship so that they become the person someone else wants them to be. In time, their own personality gets lost or changes so frequently that you lose track of them entirely because you have no idea what you were looking for in the first place. And when someone begins changing you is when you need to leave. A person should never have to change to make someone else appreciate them. If you don't like someone for who they are, just do them a favor and leave them alone. Nothing is more sad than a person being changed just to fit into someone else's mold.
I have two best friends whom I have know for over ten years and I have never had to change or alter myself to make them happy. We have been friends for so long because we are who are in front of each other. I could not ask for more in a friendship. My dearest friends with whom I have kept in touch are the people who are content with the person I have become and the woman I will be. I refuse to change me for the sake of someone else.
And in a relationship, I am myself. My boyfriend loves me for who I am not who I was or could be and them same goes from me to him. He is himself and I love him for just that. If I were to try and change him I would be changing the very person I fell in love with, and how does that even make sense? It is so important in a relationship to be honest with who you are to the other person, letting them love and cherish you for who you are.
Identity theft does not just happen to credit cards and social security numbers. It happens to personality quirks and characteristics that make a person who they are. Some of the most important things get stolen from a person just because someone else wasn't happy with it. Don't lose who you are in the shuffle. Celebrate the fact that there is someone else out there to treasure you who will adore those quirks that make you who you are.
Some people are so often changing that you end up not knowing who they are no matter how much you try to get to know them. They change according to their friends or a relationship so that they become the person someone else wants them to be. In time, their own personality gets lost or changes so frequently that you lose track of them entirely because you have no idea what you were looking for in the first place. And when someone begins changing you is when you need to leave. A person should never have to change to make someone else appreciate them. If you don't like someone for who they are, just do them a favor and leave them alone. Nothing is more sad than a person being changed just to fit into someone else's mold.
I have two best friends whom I have know for over ten years and I have never had to change or alter myself to make them happy. We have been friends for so long because we are who are in front of each other. I could not ask for more in a friendship. My dearest friends with whom I have kept in touch are the people who are content with the person I have become and the woman I will be. I refuse to change me for the sake of someone else.
And in a relationship, I am myself. My boyfriend loves me for who I am not who I was or could be and them same goes from me to him. He is himself and I love him for just that. If I were to try and change him I would be changing the very person I fell in love with, and how does that even make sense? It is so important in a relationship to be honest with who you are to the other person, letting them love and cherish you for who you are.
Identity theft does not just happen to credit cards and social security numbers. It happens to personality quirks and characteristics that make a person who they are. Some of the most important things get stolen from a person just because someone else wasn't happy with it. Don't lose who you are in the shuffle. Celebrate the fact that there is someone else out there to treasure you who will adore those quirks that make you who you are.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Hands
It always amazes me what hands can create. We use our hands so much more than we realize and we depend on them because we have no other choice. They give us our way of life and they allow us to do more than we can fathom. Hands give us the ability to create what our minds conceive.
Without our hands, where would we be? How did God design them? Does God have hands like ours? Hands are a gift that should not be taken for granted, but are. They allow us to be human. Our fingers and palms all work together to do the tasks that we need them to. Grabbing, snatching, smoothing, grasping, touching, writing. All these things are done with our hands, as well as thousands of other things.
Thank you hands for all their hard work, then thank God for such a blessing. Hands are more than just hands. They give us the ability to live.
Without our hands, where would we be? How did God design them? Does God have hands like ours? Hands are a gift that should not be taken for granted, but are. They allow us to be human. Our fingers and palms all work together to do the tasks that we need them to. Grabbing, snatching, smoothing, grasping, touching, writing. All these things are done with our hands, as well as thousands of other things.
Thank you hands for all their hard work, then thank God for such a blessing. Hands are more than just hands. They give us the ability to live.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Steps
I just bought a pair of Toms shoes and I am very excited to know that a child will also be getting a free pair of shoes who really needs them. I know that much of the money I spent will also go towards advertising and payroll, but at least a child without shoes now has a pair. As long as I am helping someone, I am happy. It will be nice because whenever I wear those shoes I will think of a child who is just a little bit better off than they were before.
No matter what, I think that charities are great things. As long as most of their money is actually going towards their cause and they are trying to make a change in the world. With some organizations, I wonder if their organization has really done anything to help the people they claim to be supporting. For example, there are some cancer charities that still have not found a cure yet for the cancer they try to combat. You would think that after a few years there might be some progress made.
As for right now, though, I am glad that people are taking a stand and fighting poverty. It is good to see people come together for a good cause.
No matter what, I think that charities are great things. As long as most of their money is actually going towards their cause and they are trying to make a change in the world. With some organizations, I wonder if their organization has really done anything to help the people they claim to be supporting. For example, there are some cancer charities that still have not found a cure yet for the cancer they try to combat. You would think that after a few years there might be some progress made.
As for right now, though, I am glad that people are taking a stand and fighting poverty. It is good to see people come together for a good cause.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Create New
More and more I realize how much I miss art and my art classes from high school. That is one of the very few things I miss about that time period. Art class was certainly my way of escaping into my mind, in a place that no one else could come to. In my art I was able to create and recognize who I was and what was going through my mind. Artwork in general is so expressive and each piece has it's own unique story to compliment it.
If I could just work on art for the rest of my life, I would. For now, I will simply work on art as much as I can, and continue to do photography.
If I could just work on art for the rest of my life, I would. For now, I will simply work on art as much as I can, and continue to do photography.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
if you see it, just close those blue eyes like you mean it
Tomorrow is the last day of classes, and then we have finals and then fin to junior year of college. Golly, that was quick! I am still in awe that college has been skipping past me like a child on the playground. It is just a fleeting sight, quick to leave. I am constantly bombarded with the fact that I will be leaving familiarity soon, and though I can adapt well, I am still nervous about this upcoming change.
On another note, Aaron and I have taken on a new hobby of reading together! This is really exciting for me because I love books and writing and everything to do with paper and words. One of my professors told me that her and her husband would read to one another and it strengthened their relationship a lot. When you read to someone or they read to you, it builds a sense of trust because you begin trusting them for a positive outcome to the story. You trust their words and they enjoy you listening and visa versa. We are reading The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker and it is a Christian thriller, and Dekker is one of my favorite authors. I got the book from my parents and Aaron and I had been looking for a book to read together, so we chose this one. We are thinking that our next book will be a little bit more happy however.
I wish the weather would warm up. It is getting rather dreary outside and I wish the sun would come out. It would be so lovely to have lunch outside with my friends. Maybe sometime this week.
Life is beautiful, enjoy every precious moment.
On another note, Aaron and I have taken on a new hobby of reading together! This is really exciting for me because I love books and writing and everything to do with paper and words. One of my professors told me that her and her husband would read to one another and it strengthened their relationship a lot. When you read to someone or they read to you, it builds a sense of trust because you begin trusting them for a positive outcome to the story. You trust their words and they enjoy you listening and visa versa. We are reading The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker and it is a Christian thriller, and Dekker is one of my favorite authors. I got the book from my parents and Aaron and I had been looking for a book to read together, so we chose this one. We are thinking that our next book will be a little bit more happy however.
I wish the weather would warm up. It is getting rather dreary outside and I wish the sun would come out. It would be so lovely to have lunch outside with my friends. Maybe sometime this week.
Life is beautiful, enjoy every precious moment.
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