hi friends..
again, it has been too long since we've spoken. in about 7.5 weeks, i will finally be done with this whole school thing and perhaps can start writing some more. the goal is still the same..to make you smile and remember that God is above all the best thing to ever happen to you and me.
so, about that title.
what do you do when the answer, the answer you really wanted to be yes, is no? do you cry, stomp around, plead with God, ask 'why me', or do you breathe a pray of thanks for God's will to continue and pray for the next direction.
i must confess, until recently, i wasn't so good at being thankful when the answer was no. God took that opportunity to teach me to wake up and remember that i am most definitely not in charge of my life nor can i see what is really going on in this wonderful life.
so today, i'm sitting on my couch thinking about the answer no and a verse popped into my mind. its one most of us know well. and this verse, well, it explains in 26 words exactly why 'no' is a perfectly okay answer from God.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11
all i can tell you from here is that hearing no is really hard sometimes, but there is a reason and He knows best.
God also said that all we need is food and raiment..that's food enough to stay alive and clothing enough to stay alive (and decent). that's it. this means that we might hear 'no' when we don't want to.
for me, hearing no isn't and wasn't fun, but once i remembered Who really is in charge and has the plan for life, it became a little easier to accept.
next, though, i had to also remember to praise God, even though His answer was no.
that was definitely harder than i was expecting. thank goodness for music to help me praise. take a few minutes to listen to these songs. they have the same title, but are sang by different women at different points in their lives.
I Will Praise You - Ginny Owens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkiX_g8hGPI&index=30&list=PLSTbHdwl24okjRiqIcHwAem4gBNNbA396
I Will Praise You - Rebecca St. James https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXET-duSRr8&index=31&list=PLSTbHdwl24okjRiqIcHwAem4gBNNbA396
now..when the answer is no, just remember there is a Plan you don't understand. a Plan more beautiful than you can imagine. a Plan with a better end for you.
and that, my friends, makes me smile.
with that, i love you all. i pray for you all.
keep smiling!
Monday, March 14, 2016
Friday, April 17, 2015
hello my name is..
hey all,
i'm tori lyn and it has been a really long time since we've talked.
the real title of this post is...
survival.
it's been almost two years since we've talked and as a result i have survived nursing school without keeping up with you.
the real thing is though, life is all about survival. God created us and gave us a knapsack of tools to use. in that sack is His Word, some family, a few friends, the sunshine, the clouds, a mind to think, a body to move, an appetite for food and liquid, and the capacity to love. surviving with all that seems pretty doable, however, He also included emotions.
emotions are tough. not a day goes by lately that i'm not in tears or close to it and let me tell you something...that is okay. God gave us the tears. its His reminder that its not a perfect world, but He is perfect and He can help us through.
we are God's children and He loves us.
please remember to smile my friends...God put that ability in your survival knapsack too.
i love you, so does He.
go forth, smile a few times and let love be part of your survival.
peace :):)
i'm tori lyn and it has been a really long time since we've talked.
the real title of this post is...
survival.
it's been almost two years since we've talked and as a result i have survived nursing school without keeping up with you.
the real thing is though, life is all about survival. God created us and gave us a knapsack of tools to use. in that sack is His Word, some family, a few friends, the sunshine, the clouds, a mind to think, a body to move, an appetite for food and liquid, and the capacity to love. surviving with all that seems pretty doable, however, He also included emotions.
emotions are tough. not a day goes by lately that i'm not in tears or close to it and let me tell you something...that is okay. God gave us the tears. its His reminder that its not a perfect world, but He is perfect and He can help us through.
we are God's children and He loves us.
please remember to smile my friends...God put that ability in your survival knapsack too.
i love you, so does He.
go forth, smile a few times and let love be part of your survival.
peace :):)
Thursday, October 3, 2013
the numbers.. [dedicated to my best friend, Lindsay]
hello friends. :)
how are you today?
do you ever feel less of a person because of the numbers in your life? your grades? height? weight? IQ? number of friends? age?
guess what...the numbers do not matter.
your age is just a human defined measure of time. God loves you no less because you are thirty instead of twenty. (and so do i)
your weight is just a measurement of gravity and the Earth, again, human defined. although there are reasons to control it, God loves you the same stick skinny or not.
your grades are just a representation of your ability to take a test or remember information. even though you need better than a C to be an average student, the human definition is just that...defined by humans. God sees you as a child of His, not a C average student.
see the pattern...? God is your Creator, He is the Judge in the end, your Constant in between. He does not love you based on the human defined measures of greatness: numbers.
God loves you, and so do i!
smiles and hugs :)
how are you today?
do you ever feel less of a person because of the numbers in your life? your grades? height? weight? IQ? number of friends? age?
guess what...the numbers do not matter.
your age is just a human defined measure of time. God loves you no less because you are thirty instead of twenty. (and so do i)
your weight is just a measurement of gravity and the Earth, again, human defined. although there are reasons to control it, God loves you the same stick skinny or not.
your grades are just a representation of your ability to take a test or remember information. even though you need better than a C to be an average student, the human definition is just that...defined by humans. God sees you as a child of His, not a C average student.
see the pattern...? God is your Creator, He is the Judge in the end, your Constant in between. He does not love you based on the human defined measures of greatness: numbers.
God loves you, and so do i!
smiles and hugs :)
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
scabs
hey everybody!
two posts in a month?! i must have so much time on my hands... :) just kidding, i have something to share with you all that couldn't wait.
do you know why you get scabs?
*nerd alert* scabs form on your body over an injury so the inside can heal first. the scab is basically a protective covering so healing can take place from the inside out, rather than healing the skin and leaving a wound inside. this could cause an infection anyways. so our bodies work really well (it is because they have a wondrous Creator), but today i would like you to know that scabs are not just physical.
think about the last time you've been hurt, not physically, but emotionally or mentally, or however. (don't dwell on it too long, just long enough to remember the feeling) just like in our bodies God's wonderful creative ability shines through as our wounds heal from the inside to the outside creating a completely fixed area, His creativity in spiritual healing is just as amazing. the last time you were hurt, it probably took awhile for the hurt to heal, you perhaps were really touchy around specific subjects for awhile. first, the physical pain of the hurt probably went away, although you probably still thought about it frequently. next, your thought frequency on the subject diminished. then when people talked about subjects relating to the hurt, you didn't react, and lastly, one day, the hurt was gone, leaving a faint scar, barely noticeable that just reminded you that you survived. through the whole thing, there was a level of protection and extra comfort available from our Father, the scab.
was it a fun process? of course not, but now you are a survivor, stronger on the inside AND the outside due to the wonderful formation of that scab.
stay strong friends! remember, God created scabs!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhVDhUlUX88 ***listen to this for further encouragement***
smiles, hugs, and laughter :)
p.s. scaB -- the 'b' stands for broken; scaR -- the 'r' stands for repaired :)
two posts in a month?! i must have so much time on my hands... :) just kidding, i have something to share with you all that couldn't wait.
do you know why you get scabs?
*nerd alert* scabs form on your body over an injury so the inside can heal first. the scab is basically a protective covering so healing can take place from the inside out, rather than healing the skin and leaving a wound inside. this could cause an infection anyways. so our bodies work really well (it is because they have a wondrous Creator), but today i would like you to know that scabs are not just physical.
think about the last time you've been hurt, not physically, but emotionally or mentally, or however. (don't dwell on it too long, just long enough to remember the feeling) just like in our bodies God's wonderful creative ability shines through as our wounds heal from the inside to the outside creating a completely fixed area, His creativity in spiritual healing is just as amazing. the last time you were hurt, it probably took awhile for the hurt to heal, you perhaps were really touchy around specific subjects for awhile. first, the physical pain of the hurt probably went away, although you probably still thought about it frequently. next, your thought frequency on the subject diminished. then when people talked about subjects relating to the hurt, you didn't react, and lastly, one day, the hurt was gone, leaving a faint scar, barely noticeable that just reminded you that you survived. through the whole thing, there was a level of protection and extra comfort available from our Father, the scab.
was it a fun process? of course not, but now you are a survivor, stronger on the inside AND the outside due to the wonderful formation of that scab.
stay strong friends! remember, God created scabs!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhVDhUlUX88 ***listen to this for further encouragement***
smiles, hugs, and laughter :)
p.s. scaB -- the 'b' stands for broken; scaR -- the 'r' stands for repaired :)
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
BIG news
hello my friends,
it has been awhile since we've spoken. (nursing school has abducted by social life) :)
being a full time student with a demanding(ish) job can be a big task. think about the most overwhelming thing in your life right now, good or bad. do you ever feel like you can't handle it, and just want to give up? do you tell yourself someone else out there will take care of it, you're not good enough anyways?
guess what?! there is a Person out there that can help you get through it. God is BIGGER than the most overwhelming thing in your life. He can handle it, He can help you through anything. just remember, God would not bring you up to something that He didn't know you could handle with some help from Him.
go BIG, my friends, and keep smiling. :)
it has been awhile since we've spoken. (nursing school has abducted by social life) :)
being a full time student with a demanding(ish) job can be a big task. think about the most overwhelming thing in your life right now, good or bad. do you ever feel like you can't handle it, and just want to give up? do you tell yourself someone else out there will take care of it, you're not good enough anyways?
guess what?! there is a Person out there that can help you get through it. God is BIGGER than the most overwhelming thing in your life. He can handle it, He can help you through anything. just remember, God would not bring you up to something that He didn't know you could handle with some help from Him.
go BIG, my friends, and keep smiling. :)
Friday, June 28, 2013
100% sunshine
hi friends :)
how do you feel when you walk outside and see sunshine? i feel happy and free. sunshine is a beautiful gift from God that is mentally, spiritually, and physically beneficial for you. the more the better, right?
wrong.
if all we had was sunshine, would we appreciate the gift? would we be as thankful, as reverent to our Heavenly Father if we knew we could receive His gifts so easily without ever a reason to appreciate them? think of it as hawaii; to tourists, it is an awe-inspiring vacation spot, but if those tourists visit the same spot every year, it begins to lose its value as a vacation place, it becomes too routine, and the significance drops.
sunshine is like that. if we receive the gift so often that it begins to lose significance, eventually we don't see sunshine as a reason to thank God.
embrace the gifts we are given...including the clouds.
smiles and hugs :)
how do you feel when you walk outside and see sunshine? i feel happy and free. sunshine is a beautiful gift from God that is mentally, spiritually, and physically beneficial for you. the more the better, right?
wrong.
if all we had was sunshine, would we appreciate the gift? would we be as thankful, as reverent to our Heavenly Father if we knew we could receive His gifts so easily without ever a reason to appreciate them? think of it as hawaii; to tourists, it is an awe-inspiring vacation spot, but if those tourists visit the same spot every year, it begins to lose its value as a vacation place, it becomes too routine, and the significance drops.
sunshine is like that. if we receive the gift so often that it begins to lose significance, eventually we don't see sunshine as a reason to thank God.
embrace the gifts we are given...including the clouds.
smiles and hugs :)
Saturday, June 15, 2013
beautiful chaos...
hi friends :)
what does your schedule look like? how often do you wish for just an hour of leisure time to just relax? how focused are you at work or school? our lives are a big jumble of plans, ideas, thoughts, wishes, and the actual happenings. chaos, if you ask me. but it is a beautiful chaos. that big jumble is a mess from the outside, but with God at our side and a healthy dose of faith and trust in Him, there is a way out, a way to make the best from the mess that is this beautiful chaos.
let God be your event planner, take a break from the stress of the chaos and let Him arrange it as He sees beneficial to you...after all, He is God, He sees everything, knows everything, and is more than capable to take a messy chaotic day and turn it into a beautiful reflection of His plan.
smile, my friends, and relax a little.
the chaos can turn beautiful.
hugs and smiles :):)
what does your schedule look like? how often do you wish for just an hour of leisure time to just relax? how focused are you at work or school? our lives are a big jumble of plans, ideas, thoughts, wishes, and the actual happenings. chaos, if you ask me. but it is a beautiful chaos. that big jumble is a mess from the outside, but with God at our side and a healthy dose of faith and trust in Him, there is a way out, a way to make the best from the mess that is this beautiful chaos.
let God be your event planner, take a break from the stress of the chaos and let Him arrange it as He sees beneficial to you...after all, He is God, He sees everything, knows everything, and is more than capable to take a messy chaotic day and turn it into a beautiful reflection of His plan.
smile, my friends, and relax a little.
the chaos can turn beautiful.
hugs and smiles :):)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)