The Journey

I love books.

Interesting way to start a post about a journey, right?

I’ve always loved books, always been writing stories. Through the years I have made many a friend who shared my love of books and writing.  One day, while chatting with one of these friends, she told me that when she goes to read a book, she flips to the end and reads the last page. That way, she’ll know if she likes it or not.

*perplexed face*

“Uh, but then you know the ending. What fun is reading the story if you already know how it ends? You miss the whole journey of the characters. You miss out on…. everything.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ever wanted to do that with your own life? Pick it up like a book and flip to the last page, to see how it ends? Or maybe at least flip to the interesting chapters, where the answer to today’s questions are found (Who/when will I marry? How many kids will I have? Where will we live? Will I succeed in starting that career?).

Wouldn’t that be fun?

Oh, sure, maybe.  But you’d miss out on the journey. You’d skip how you got there. You’d miss the lessons, the laughs, the tears, the victories along the way. Really, the journey is the most important part of the story. How interesting would it be to read a story that went “Once upon a time, there was a princess. She was in distress, but then the prince came and they lived happily ever after.” Whew, that’s a good ending! 

The journey is what makes us appreciate the end of the story. God wants us to go on a journey. He wants us to learn lessons, experience ups and downs, have victories, have defeats, draw ever closer to Him. Because the real end of the journey isn’t in wedding vowsor cute little houses or building a successful career. The End of the journey comes when we reach Heaven and Jesus says “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful in a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. {Matthew 25:20-21}” The journey is where we are faithful in a few things, serving our Lord.

Wishing we could skip to the end won’t get us there any faster.

It won’t be easy. Then again, He never said it would be.

 But the journey is worth it.

*This was originally published on my personal blog*

Pouring out...

Pouring out love, not anger. 

That's something I had to do the day before Wednesday, because I was in the confined car with two other people, and you know how that can be. Anything gets on my nerves in that situation, but I determined not to let that get the best of me. I also determined to have a wwjd attitude.

And that was hard.

But it reminded me that I love my brother more than my DSI, meaning that even if he ever did completely destroy what I spent lots of hard-earned money on, I still wouldn't give up on him by blowing up. With love, I still wouldn't have that right. {Which he didn't break it at all, by the way}

And that brings me to a great Valentine's Day story. It's a story of a guy who truly loved his girl more than any work or possession.

Read it here.

What a cool story! Something I didn't notice before is that Jacob worked for seven years after her married Rachel, which shows that he probably forgave Laban for his deception.

Suppressing rage is pouring out love, and that's one of the ways I poured out love and gave of myself this Valentine's Day.

When a Hymn Becomes Personal

I'm not one who likes change very much. The same old things, day in and day out, have always suited me just fine. Growing up, I had my life all mapped out: I would not go to college; instead I'd get married, have kids, live in one particular house in my hometown, I'd go to the same church I grew up in...my future was all planned, and I liked being so sure that this plan was God-given. “After all,” I thought, “I'd be at peace in that situation. I'd be happy. There's nothing peaceful about moving and adjusting all the time. Change isn't always for the best.” 

Over the spring/summer of 2011, however, I began praying that God would give me a desire for whatever was in His will for my life. Slowly God began changing the way I thought about certain things, certain situations in my life. As I surrendered these things to the Lord, I felt at peace. But I was still certain that God wanted me in my home state of Maine, for life.

Sept. 30-Oct.1, 2011, I was blessed to be able to attend a retreat for pastor's kids with my sister. We looked forward to it for weeks, because we'd be riding to and from the retreat with some good friends of ours. The retreat was lots of fun, we all had a good time, enjoying singing and fellowship with other pastor's kids. Then it came time for the final hymn before we packed up our things. We started singing the first verse of “I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go.”

 

It may not be on the mountains height, or over the stormy sea,

It may not be at the battle's front my Lord will have need of me:

But if by a still, small voice He calls to paths I do not know,

I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine,

I'll go where You want me to go.

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,

O'er mountain or plain or sea;

I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,

I'll be what You want me to be.

~ Mary Brown ~

And as we were singing, I realized something: I could honestly sing those words! Suddenly, I realized that if God were to ask me to give up everything, I really could. I meant every word of that song! As we started in on the last verse, I sang out clearer than before, joyfully singing those words to my Savior—meaning every word. 

And guess what? I'm at peace! I don't know where God would have me go, what He'd have me do, only that He'll be with me and providing for me, leading and guiding all the way.

Can you go wherever God wants you to go, say what He wants you to say, or be what He wants you to be, simply because He asks?

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

~Jeremiah 29:11

A Revolutionary Valentine's Day

*Note: this post is a collage of our discussion from girls' group; it is not specifically by one author.

This past girls' group, we redefined Valentine's Day:

Valentine's Day is...

John 15:1-13

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If a man abide not in me, the same is cast forth as as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my  love; even as I have kept my Father's commandment, and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

This is my commandment, that ye love one another.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Well, those verses have alot in them! Our goal is to keep these commandment verses in mind!

The following is a list of characteristics of love from 1 Corinthians 13. As you read this list {preferably out loud}, insert your name very time the word "love" appears. Does this list truly describe you?

If the list did not truly describe you, note the specific areas that you need to work on, and make a conscience choice to work on those areas. But, as we read in John 15, we cannot do it on our own; we must abide in Christ!

Our definition of Valentine's Day prompts us not only give out cards, but pour out ourselves! True love is following the outline given in 1 Corinthians 13. True, authentic love begins in the heart, and fills us so much that it pours out on others.

This is revolutionary! If we all recognized this,  how different our lives would be! List specifically what ways you will pour out yourself to others on Valentine's Day. And don't stop there; love goes beyond Valentine's Day!

Rubber Bands and Me

The other day I got a rubber band put in my mouth. It attaches my top braces to my bottom braces, in such a way that it will pull my bottom teeth to the left.

I've been thinking about it. I am actually starting to see a lot of analogies for my life from the rubber band in my mouth. :)

A rubber band is elastic-y. Even when it is stretched out, it will bounce right back to its original shape. {Too} many times I will become very angry when I am "stretched." My "stretching" can really be anything from a trial to my brother accidentally getting into my stuff to gossip that is spread about me. Too many times I react in a harsh way, such as yelling or what have you.

However, God's Word tells me to do things much differently. There is no need for my anger or harsh reaction; there is need for my forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and understanding.

Of course, I must forgive whoever has done me wrong.

Then came Peter unto him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

~Matthew 18:21-22

I must show love to that person.

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

~John 15:11

That's definitely a challenge. We have done so much to hurt Him, yet He shows love. Immense love. And He commands us to do the same to others, whether they hurt us or not.

I must show purity, peaceableness, gentleness, openness, mercy, and the fruits of the Spirit to that person with the right attitude.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of the righteous is sown in peace of them that make peace.

~James 3:16-18

I should try to relate to that person.

And as ye would do that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

~Luke 6:31

Well, that sums up a great challenge for my week. I personally am going to write these things down on an index card and keep it in my pocket, so that every time my tongue touches that rubber band, I will read it and remember. And ask God to fill me with His Spirit, 'cuz it's not gonna happen naturally. :)

Prayer... Live It!

I was praying the other day... and I was being very frank with God. I told Him that I know how people say that prayer is supposed to change my life. But I wasn't seeing a change. I was falling back on my prayer life because it didn't seem to be changing my life. I would try to set aside a time every day to do it, but something would always get in the way. I was discouraged. Since last year I dedicated the next few years of my life to bettering my prayer life, this specific night {the first night of 2013} I was determined to get rid of bad habits and establish new, good habits. I decided that I would just have to deal with kneeling in my bedroom and reading that list up to God. Then, I thought, I might become this amazing spiritual person with beautiful prayers.

Ha! 

It almost seemed like God whispered in my heart, "Cosette, you don't get it!"

I interrupted. "Of course I don't get it! This prayer thing is supposed to change my life, right? Well, apparently I don't get it, because it's not!"

Patiently, He seemed to respond, "Cosette, prayer isn't just throwing words up at me. Prayer isn't all about you; you're praying for all those people on your list. You've got to live out that prayer!"

"yeah, I know, I've heard that before."

"But you don't get it."

"wait, what did you say again?"

"You have to live it."

"oh." "oh." "oh."

So this was it! Prayer isn't about me, although it affects me. I must live my prayer, affecting others! While I get down on my knees and pray for my family relationships to improve, I must live that prayer by willingness to put my part in. While I pray for my friend to be encouraged, I must live that prayer by encouraging them. Now,. I feel refreshed and ready to take this challenge head on- through the power of Christ!