What Lurks Behind

I love Shadows. Why? It’s a reminder.

It’s a reminder of our dark and somber moments of the past. We are called to shed light to the world and spread love to everyone and everything. Our light is ahead and our shadows are behind. These shadows stay behind us-reminding us of how far we’ve come. See, the dim shade only goes out to a certain extent. Whereas, the light is always growing and advancing in size.

Sometimes we don’t feel like we are a radiant light. In fact we may feel the exact opposite. We let the hurt and gloom of the past consume us. For example, some of the lyrics in the song “Forget” by Marina and the Diamonds talks about this.

“I have lived my life in debt. I’ve spent my days in deep regret. Yeah, I’ve been living in the red. Oh, ’cause I can’t forgive and I can’t forget.-Ever since I can remember life was like a tipping scale. Like an abacus I played with
Counting every win and fail.”

Don’t let the events and actions of the past control you. Allow your light to shine because you bring joy to this world.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Giving Thanks

Hello! Everyday I like to read a couple chapters of Psalms. Today, one of the chapters I read was sixty-three. Which states,

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.” (Psalm 63:1-11 ESV)

Two verses that really stick out to me are, “When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” I love this because I am an insomniac and I have a challenging time attempting to sleep and STAYING asleep. In this time that I am vastly awake I like to thank God. I thank him for the ability to be snuggled up in a warm bed, to be surrounded by positive and influential people, the sky that has such magnificent beauty, for music that gives off radiant emotions, and so much more.

This verse also reminds me of yesterday in a way. In English class I created a power point on preacher and author Jonathan Edwards. The key section that this reminded me of him is, “meditate on you.” Edwards’ first encounter with God was when he said he was meditating on the verse 1 Timothy 1:17 (ESV). Which says, “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

This is what Jonathan had to say about his experience, “As I read the words, there came into my soul, and was as it were diffused through it, a sense of the glory of the Divine Being; a new sense, quite different from any thing I ever experienced before… I thought with myself, how excellent a Being that was, and how happy I should be, if I might enjoy that God, and be rapt up to him in heaven; and be as it were swallowed up in him for ever!”

So, my challenge for you is to take some amount of time out of your day; whether it’s five minutes or a couple hours, but to just thank God. 🙂 I hope you all are having a wonderful day!

If you want to hear more on Jonathan Edwards you can go here: http://bit.ly/1pcTIYh

Untarnished Pottery and Dismembered Glass

Last night I was praying for peace and allowing myself to accept God’s love and tranquility. During this time, a visual in my mind unfolded as I spoke to him.

The first thing I saw was a perfectly crafted clay jar. There was also a damaged and shattered glass bottle. This glass bottle looked as though someone tried to fix it by gluing the broken pieces back together. At first, the two containers were placed directly next to each other. After a few seconds the pottery item was pouring milk into the dismantled glass. As the milk filled the cup the crushed pieces of glass were gone-as if they were never there. Right before me, this glass had been transformed.

This visual reminded me of a couple things;

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-” 1 Peter 2:2

“I can finally see,

That you’re right there beside me,

I am not my own,

For I have been made new,

Please don’t let me go,

I desperately need you.”

~Meteor Shower by Owl City (Adam Young)

So, in other words, God was showing me that he DOES indeed make all things new and showed me the power of letting go and enabling myself to accept his serenity. ❤

Contemplating my Faith and The Hobbit

Mirkwood Forest. The Hobbit. Google Images.

Mirkwood Forest. The Hobbit. Google Images.

Hello! Something you may or may not know about me is that I am a total Lord of the Rings/Hobbit nerd. So, last night I was lying in bed wide awake hoping that I will fall asleep soon since it was late. (Daylight savings has been dreadful.) As I was laying there I had thought of an analogy with a comparison between a scene in The Hobbit and my walk with God. I know, that probably sounds really absurd, but here it is…

In my walk with God I will be at times where I will be speaking with him everyday and getting into the word and then after a while I will slip away and I find myself lost. After I realize that I’m lost I try to find my path to a greater relationship with him again. This reminds me of the scene in The Hobbit were Gandalf is leaving the dwarves and Bilbo and tells them to stay on the path or they will be lost. The dwarves start their journey on the path, but later on they find themselves lost and confused. During this time they get attacked by spiders, I picture these as a representation of your insecurities getting to you and you let them take over.

However, Bilbo saves them from being consumed by these gigantic spiders. God gives us strength to overcome our “gigantic spiders” or “insecurities,” because I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). When the spiders fleed the men found their way back onto the path. Shortly afterwards they were spotted by elves. Arrows started coming their way and swords were being swung. The swords and arrows are fear coming to attack you.

Where do they end up next? That’s for my next post. 🙂

28 Things I’m Thankful For

I’ve seen a tag going around about 28 things that people are thankful for and I decided to make one myself. 🙂

I’m thankful for…

1. A loving God.
2. My parents.
3. My friends.
4. My brothers and sisters in Rwanda.
5. My puppies.
6. A home.
7. Delicious food.
8. Crisp cold water.
9. The ability to smile and laugh.
10. Journals.
11. Music.
12. The sky.
13. The beach
14. Snow
15. Heaters.
16. Receiving cards in the mail.
17. Stars.
18. My stuffed animal Fluffy.
19. The ability to dream.
20. The frost in the morning.
21. Pajama pants.
22. Cozy sweaters.
23. Neon colors.
24. Pandas.
25. Flowers.
26. Funny conversations.
27. Lazy movie days.
28. Pictures.

“Imagination is more Important than knowledge.” ~Albert Einstein

          AliceWonderlandHello everyone! This is an essay I wrote for my English class on the topic of, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” I hope you enjoy! 🙂

 “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” This quote screams truth beyond comprehension. Thank you, Mister Albert Einstein, for putting this into perspective.

Without imagination, where would humanity be? It would be at a loss. Microwaves, chairs, cartoon characters, and famous food recipes would not exist. See, imagination begins with a thought. A thought that may seem crazy at first, but it turns into an amazing creation. Look around, wherever someone is, everywhere they look and everything they see was created using imagination.

 It was either imagination created in someone’s mind that developed over time, like a flower that takes time to grow in a field. Or it’s a breath-taking, indescribable, lovely creation by God. Without these creations society wouldn’t be where it is today. The whole world would be slow in development. If people were to have lack of imagination, there would be no interest to learn more or to see if there’s something more to a subject or object.

 If there was no interest in finding out more about different subjects or objects, there would be no new discoveries. Nobody would wonder, “Hey, I wonder what’s past the Milky Way?” or think of how to find out that information. No thoughts of rockets flying into space, elephants walking tight ropes, or creating hybrid plants would occur. Think of all the lost opportunities society would have if people didn’t open their minds and use their full potential.

 God gave everyone the gift of imagination and it needs to be used. Not taken for granted, but used for the good. An imagination can keep people optimistic and positive. For example, when people are sad or in distress some think up positive or absurd things to clear their mind. Such as; flying cats, being on a tropical island getaway, going to Wonderland as if they were Alice, and much more.

 Imagination is the key that unlocks knowledge. Kind of like after Alice fell down the rabbit hole and she had to go through the process of shrinking and growing to receive the key that leads to Wonderland. The shrinking and growing process represents the humans thought process and the key is the imagination. Lastly, Wonderland represents all the new knowledge that is waiting to be discovered through imagination.

My Heart Cries For Kirehe

I can’t even comprehend the things I have seen. Pictures and memories keep flashing back to then. To Kirehe. I didn’t want to leave. Part of me is still there. If I could I would drop everything and leave everything to be there for them. I don’t care if I had to live in a small tent with no mattress in the rainy season. I want to be there. I want to hold each of their hands, give them a hug, smile and laugh with them, and most of all share the love of Jesus with them. I want to do something now. No more waiting, hesitating, or procrastinating. I’m done with that. Take me back. Take me back to the kids, the teachers, the parents, the grandparents, to the smiles and serious faces. I miss it. This broke me. It ruined me. It makes my stomach turn and my eyes water. I can’t just sit here anymore. This is pathetic. I need to move. I need to do. I want to put shoes on every single one of those children’s feet, to provide everyone with a Bible, to give paper and pens for learning. I want to build houses, a church, a school, and whatever else they need. It hurts just sitting here. I could be doing so much more. I love them all with every part of my heart.

The Wrecking Ball: The Lies Within

I was writing this morning and I really debated about whether I should post this. But, I decided because perhaps someone else might read this who too, is experiencing the same thing I am.

“While praying this morning, I pictured a white/cream smooth marble wall surrounding me. This represented the Lord overcoming me with his peace. However, at the same time I could see this grey gloom sky and ground covered in rocks and rubble trying to break through the wall. This is the devil. He is trying to disrupt my peace and my faith with the Lord. I’m not going to let him creep in anymore. He will not consume me and try to fill me with fear. It is not God who causes the wall to break. It’s me who is taking a wrecking ball and crashing it down. Not because I want to, but because I start to hear and listen to the lies that the devil is screaming behind the walls. He’s screaming at me. He wants to break me, ruin me, destroy me, and most of all take over my heart. Now, why do I listen? Why do I let him get at me? Why do I listen to something that wants me to believe I have no purpose? I have a purpose. I need to stop believing those lies. I need to let Jesus cover me with his peace and joy. I cry out for happiness to occur, but I never allow it to happen. Again, another time I use the wrecking ball. I say no, but what I need to say is yes. To say yes to Jesus and no to the devil.”

Never Grow Up

mdaWhy must we all grow up? Can’t we just be like Peter Pan and stay young forever. Become one of the Lost Boys and roam the island that is Neverland.

“If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I won’t grow up, never grow up, not me.” ~ Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

Can we take the tape and rewind? Go back to going to Grandma’s house and finger paint a masterpiece. Or when you would eat berries and dot the additional juice that was on your finger tips onto a napkin; covering it with the pinks, purples, and blues that fascinated you. The curiosity of what grass tasted like. You expected it to be like the kind from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ but when you ate it you were disappointed to find out that it was indeed not candy.

I remember when I was about 4 I thought what people meant by “the ocean will sweep you away,” is that King Triton wanted a bigger population in Atlantis. So therefore I thought if you were “swept away” you would turn into a mermaid. I had thought about “turning into a mermaid” then I didn’t because I would miss my mom.

Don’t you miss how everything was a discovery? Such as, looking at a mirror and seeing your reflection. Confusion entering your mind because of the thought, “Is this me or another person?” And you wave and smile to see if your newly found friend would respond.

The feeling of your little fingers brushing the strings of a guitar. In awe of how such a magnificent sound came from just plucking one single string. And the urge to put your fist in the sound hole in the center of the guitar. When you heard someone playing it you couldn’t help, but start to dance. Twirling, jumping, and spinning around till you feel dizzy.

Thoughts of what you wanted to be when you grew up excited you. Whether it was being a Firefighter, Police Man, Rockstar, Vet, Artist, etc. Remember how you would re-enact what you would do on the job. I had wanted to be an Opera Singer, so I wrote songs and performed them for my parents. I remember being so proud of what I accomplished. Thinking about how I was going to be the best Opera Singer there ever was.

Now that I have looked back at these memories, somethings haven’t changed. I still have the urge to put my hand in the sound hole of a guitar. Also I put excess juice from berries that are on my fingers and I put them on napkins; so that my napkin is polka doted. Though whatever age you are, everyone of us will always be kids at heart.

Well, that is if we allow ourselves to be.

The Ocean Calls

Image

Photo Credits to Traci Simonsen

Imagine you are roaming the sandy and calm place that is the beach. Picture what you see, feel, smell, and hear. Don’t you feel like you’re right there in the midst of the wind rushing by your ear.

If you squint your eyes closely you can almost see the waves crashing against the shore. When I was little I always thought of the way the waves would glide. It reminded me of a graceful ice skater gradually sailing across a rink.

As you look up you think you’re going to see the deep blue sky. But, what you come upon is your eyes getting lost in a sea of kaleidoscopic kites. Then, if you look ground level you can see dogs. One’s that are chasing and barking at seagulls, digging to their hearts desire, and simply just strutting across the wet sand like they own the place.

The feeling of wind gives me a rush of adrenaline. It’s like when you’re at the climax of a roller coaster then all of a sudden you just drop.

I look down to see a shell that caught my eye. It’s bright orange and white, I pick it up and it has a rough texture. Like the gristly sensation of a broken teacup. If you put your hand down in the damp and freezing sand, it almost feels like its grabbing you; taking you to a whole other world on the opposite side.

What kinds of scents do you receive? Is it the scent of salty water? That consumes the air like when a bakery completes a fresh loaf of bread and the baker opens the windows of the shop. Then a breeze comes and drifts in the scent of a camp fire. I inhale the smell of burnt wood and pretend I can feel the warmth of the fire in this bitter cold. As the breeze passes a new one whips by. And occasionally a light unpleasant smell will appear, like a rotten fish that’s been sitting out for a couple of days.

A lot of the time you think you are just hearing the sound of the wind weaving in and out of your ear, but if you really focus in on your surroundings, you can hear a whole lot more.

Just close your eyes and listen to the seagulls caw. The ocean descending itself across the shore as if it wants to say “Hello,” to all people before being swept away. That crashing sound that it makes, if you put your mind in another place it’s more than just a crash. It’s a reminder of what we have been given, the gift of life.

What is life, but a vapor. It appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Without this gift of life we wouldn’t be able to experience things. Nor would we get to describe our experiences with others, know what even a beach is, and not even exist. I thank God everyday for creating this world and giving me this life.