!!!!!

Okay... so... i'm going to start rambling... i'm going to try to edit this down so that it makes more sense, but we'll see if that actually happens.
I've been realize just how much of a choice joy is. I know we hear that all the time, but it's true. It doesn't matter what is happening in your life... how uncertain your future is... how much your heart is hurting... how much your body is hurting... you can still have joy. That doesn't mean that everything just goes away. but that means that you're choosing to focus on Christ and be grateful to Him and cling to Him and everything He has provided.  A verse that has been tapping me on the shoulder since i read it on Sunday is John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Let me define "abundant" for you. According to dictionary.com, "abundant" consists of 1) present in great quantity; more than adequate; over-sufficient. 2) well-supplied; abounding. 3) richly supplied.
okay. i have to admit... i get kind of irritated when i hear believers talk about abundant life as though it's only going to happen when we get to heaven. It starts NOW, guys! He gave us, as a pledge of our inheritance, the Holy Spirit! As a PLEDGE!!! A down-payment! He just gave us the gift of Himself living inside of us, of having a Comforter, a Counselor, an Advocate and soooo much more right in us at our disposal just as God's promise that there's far more coming! Just that should make us feel the abundance of this life we have! Not even going further on into everything God provides!
and yet... how often does every day feel like a battle that you've lost? How often does every day seem "normal"? How often does it feel like a monotonous routine? In the words of the esteemed Blimey Cow, "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!" In Christ, each day is an empty plate that's going to be filled with amazing food that you don't even know about yet! Maybe i'm just hungry right now, but that's the first thing that came to my mind. The point is... there are so many opportunities to see Jesus and to serve Him that we continuously pass by and then complain about how boring and hard this life is. Life ISN'T hard when we cling to Jesus! The painful things don't leave us, perhaps, but the pain is eased by the joy and peace that we have (not will have, but do have) in Jesus when we choose to accept it. He promises this Himself in Matthew 11:28-30. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Jesus says that! Are you seriously going tell me that Jesus was mistaken or delusional when He said that?
Have abundant life! Take Jesus' yoke! Take hold of His joy!  

Okay. Now you can tell me how hard your life is and how i don't understand. Actually, don't tell me. (fine, you can if you REALLY want to. :P) Tell Jesus. :)

update: what i am learning

So, i've posted some posts about things that have been on my mind, but i haven't really said anything about what i'm personally learning, and i wanted to share a little of that. i would like to use scripture to show that i'm not completely off my rocker, but i'm not going to go looking for verses to support my thoughts, because i don't want to take stuff out of context, so i'm hoping the Holy Spirit will lay some on my heart. If not, consider it like a journal entry, except spiritual and public. Ok, i'm rambling and i haven't even gotten started yet (here's a side of me you haven't seen :P).
So, to majorly summarize, i've been learning the power of God. i'm learning it in weakness. i'm learning that He is not limited by my stumblings. That He does not despise me and refuse to work through me simply because i'm being pathetically faithless in something at the moment. He is not limited by unfortunate circumstances. There is no terrible thing which He has not seen, and no terrible thing which He refuses to have a hand in if we will let Him. He is not limited by my weakness. He uses that which i see as weak in me to break pride in others and to build spirits in love. He's not limited by my "strengths" - those things which i assume i have mastered and don't need any further instruction in. He uses those things to break me.  There is literally nothing i can do or that can happen that can obstruct His will. If that's not encouraging, i don't know what is!
I have issues talking to people. i've always seen it as a horrible hindrance to ministering to people. But because i am slow of tongue, when i do speak, people listen, and when i can't speak, God made my face so expressive that my eyes alone say more than i could, and He uses that. Isn't that crazy? He uses my silence! i don't know about your God, but my God is indescribably awesome. My God makes something out of nothing, in every sense of the phrase. oh, AND He's really sweet about it when i'm dead wrong. When i start getting frustrated cuz i'm weak and helpless and immature, He just laughs at my foolish little thoughts and uses me when i least deserve it, just to show me He can. How can we grow numb to such a God? How can we mindlessly sing songs about how great He is without being truly awestruck? How can we tune out the stories of His power and worship of Him when we hear others testify of His power, just because we've "heard it all before"?

Jesus. is. awesome.

(so, obviously no verses came up. Feel free to share some that came to your mind!)