And when I find myself hurt and in pain

When we are trying to keep sane

Why the sun rises every morn

When we face endless scorn

How the waves know to lash at the shore

Why we seemingly hunger for more

Who will wipe away our sorrow filled tears

Who will be there in the midst of our fears

When the razors don’t appease

And the blood flow never seems to cease

When spiteful words cause gunshots to ring

And we feel we’ll never amount to anything

When our screams seem to be unheard

In a cold, scary, and lonely world

When the darkness blankets our path and sight

As we stumble through an endless night

When all else fails and love remains

Ragged and broken hearts sustain

The lifeless bodies we carry through

In hopes of meeting 

The answer to everything is

You.

…i’m an idiot. 

…Jesus died on the cross for YOU. it is so comforting and humbling to know that when we are at our worst, and feel alone in the world, the Creator of the universe thinks we are worth something, so much that He died for us. Jesus loves you. He really, really does.

…but a speck of dust in this big, lonely place called earth.

if i don’t follow the world’s way to do things, i am nothing. i am nothing if i don’t become successful or make my mark on society. i am nothing if i don’t dress a certain way or act a certain way. my life is just another among billions. who am i? i am nothing.

but to Him…

i am something.

my sole purpose on this earth is bring God glory and tell others about how awesome He is. He has blessed me, all of us, with the ability to feel things and experience all the joys and sorrows in life. life on earth is definitely a journey…and God cares about every single person’s journey. He loves each and every single one of us. we are all something. all of us have a meaning, a purpose, gifts, talents, flaws…and we are all blessed to take part in this crazy thing we call life. praise God for that.

every day that we live, we are granted another chance to bring glory to His kingdom. all of this could be gone in a second…i could drop dead right now. but i am alive.  He has breathed life into me. to Him i am something…

…and that is more than enough.

…have been interesting, to say the least.

i’ve been hurt, confused, angry, regretful. i’ve said “i wish” more times than i can count.

hindsight has a funny way of making everything more painful. i look back and think, “if only i hadn’t said that…” “if only i hadn’t done this…”

if only if only if only.

but i can’t change anything now. what’s done is done, what’s said is said. i’m tired of focusing so much on what could have been, instead of what i can still do.

my life isn’t over. it’s time to turn things around, to smile and be filled with the peace and joy only God can provide. it’s time to focus on what i love and grow in my relationships with God and my friends and family.

because you know what?

“out there, someone’s gonna love ya, warts and all”

it’s incredible to me to think that someone is going to love me despite my imperfections, that he will accept me for who i am. while the journey getting there may be tough, it’ll be so worth it in the end.

the rest of my life starts now. i know there will be times when i am hurt and sad, but i can rest assured knowing that i will be happy and joyful as well. God will be with me every step of the way, and the end result of all of this will be something more amazing and wonderful than i can even comprehend right now. 

<3 

…was amazing. 

it’s crazy how good we have it here in america. we aren’t a poverty-filled nation (even though there are places that are poverty-stricken). we don’t have to worry about having a Bible in our households. God has blessed us so much.

“every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise”

we can serve God using the resources and blessings He’s given us- through giving back to the community, reaching out to others in our country and across the globe who need to hear the Word, and by talking to the people around us about Jesus. 

people are suffering.

through the 30 hour famine, my eyes were opened to the suffering and hardships people go through every day to survive and have a faith in Christ. it’s pretty incredible what people around the world have to endure.

thank you, Lord.

thank you God for the blessings You have provided me, and please help me to find ways to give You praise through serving others and growing closer to You.

…that God puts those mountain-top experiences and times where we feel His presence in our lives not only for in the moment, but also for when we are struggling in our faith. that way, we can look back to a time in our lives and say, “wow, i know God is real because of when this happened…” or “God WILL always be with me during these trials because of what i read in the Bible that one time when i felt Him really speak to me.”

whether we are at a low point or a high point in our lives, God is with us, always. when we are stumbling in our faith, He is there, and knows the exact purpose for each second-guess or trial. when we are happier than ever and full of confidence in Him, He is there, blessing us and taking part of our joy. all of the happiness and hardship is a part of a plan that is greater than we could ever imagine. 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28