Foundation

One of the most difficult times in our lives is when we see loved ones struggling through pain.

A friend of mine told me that she was falling away from her faith. She couldn't say why, just that she felt empty. She said she didn't know how to "get right" with God again.

Another friend is going through an extremely tough time with her parents. Both sides have valid arguments, but it seems like the parents have the upper hand.

Sometimes it's hard to be expected to respond to these troubles. Sure, they don't affect me directly, but I still want to encourage and bring my friends some sort of spark of happiness. Whether through a hug, an "I'll pray for you", or even just by lending a listening ear.

Why is it that when others cry, we want to cry too?

Or how is joy and laughter so contagious?

Human beings are social. And when one being feels one emotion, I guess something in our genes makes us share in that emotion, whether we want to or not.

The most important thing to remember is that Christ wants to share with us too, in good times and bad. He is our shoulder to cry on and our friend to laugh with. I forget sometimes, but now that I'm sharing in other people's hurts, it's the promise I want them to remember most. He is our friend, our rock, and our strongest foundation.

My inescapable God

Ever have one of those days where your brain just won't shut up?

I can't focus on anything because there are multiple random thoughts zooming around in my head.

I tell myself to ignore those thoughts and get it together, but it doesn't work.

Why can't I focus?

Drink coffee. Doesn't help.

Go for a walk. Doesn't help.

Vent to your friend. Doesn't- oh wait. That did kind of help. I know that someone understands and is going through similar struggles.

I know that someone cares and wants to listen.

I know this about my friends here on earth, but also about my heavenly friend.

Laying out all my problems for God to see is one of the most helpful, painful, and yet encouraging things to do.

God knows us from the inside out anyway. He created us. He knew what we were going to do with out lives before our parents had even met each other.

We literally cannot escape God. At first, that seems like a scary thought. I can't get away. I can't hide. I can't be completely alone. But the fact that God is always there should really be an encouragement! God is there for us when no one human friend is. God sees our deepest hurts. He understands what we go through. And the best part is, He wants to comfort us and help us.

Today I am thankful for my inescapable God.

The wonders of science

Medical science continues to amaze me.

I was at work on Friday when I saw a Fox News article at the nurse's station. Being the curious person that I am, I picked it up and read the title: "Pills made from poop could cure serious gut infections."

You can imagine my reaction! Poop curing infections? What???

I read on.

Turns out Canadian researchers found that putting the bacteria from healthy stool in gel pills, and giving them to patients with gut infections, such as C-diff, cured them. It's much easier than fecal implants, and costs far less.

It's incredible what simple ideas like "Hey, let's make poop pills instead of having to put the poop in their intestines!" can make such a huge difference.

Sure, it sounds gross but hey, it's less expensive than an implant!

Just a interesting little tidbit. Sometimes these experiments and new technologies deserve to be discussed.

Here's the link if you want to check out the article:
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/10/03/pills-made-from-poop-could-cure-serious-gut-infections/

We pause to live

I complain far too much.

Sometimes, I value my time more than I should.

An unexpected conversation shouldn't irritate me as much as it does.

We're always go, go, go all the time. Pausing to engage in a deep conversation with someone who needs it might help that person more than we may know.

So why don't we pause? Why do we think that we are going to run out of time and not get done what we deem so important?

Even just taking a moment to breathe can be so rewarding. Taking time out of our day to read, talk to friends, or do something fun we haven't done in a while can give you a burst of joy.

I love taking those moments out of the day to think about what I've done, seen, heard, or said. Is my impact a positive one? How can I improve? Did I treat everyone I met with the respect they deserve? Or did I walk away thinking "I don't want to talk to her now" or "Oh my word, he really gets on my nerves."

Being Christ-like is something I struggle with each and everyday. I complain about the actions of others, which proves that my actions are no better. People mess up, but it's not my job to call them out on it. My job is to pour God's love on everyone I meet, and to live out the life I am supposed to live.

Words

The power of Scripture is truly remarkable.

A friend of mine that has been plagued by night terrors for years happened to read a very reassuring psalm before going to bed. I bet you can guess what happened...she didn't have a single night terror that night! Praise God.

I remember when I was little, and my parents told me that if ever I was scared at night or in some other circumstance, I could call on the name of Jesus to calm my fears. When I finally got my own room years ago, I recall verbally calling on Christ to cast the devil out of my room and feeling immediately calm.

I believe in the power of the Word. I believe in the power of speaking Christ's name. I believe in the power of prayer, the power of faith, and the power of our great and awesome God.

The question is: do you?

Lovely, lovely peace

At home, if I ever needed a quiet place to relax, read, or gather my thoughts, I would sit on my front porch. Once I was comfortably nestled into the wooden rocking chair on the right, I would rest my legs on the railing and prepare to be restored by the peace that I felt. I could read. I could think. I could close my eyes and breathe in the beautiful scent of God's earth. I could shake off the day and restore myself.

This was my quiet spot, even though I could have easily been distracted by cars zooming by my house, kids racing each other on their bikes, or the voices of my family through the kitchen window behind me. The sound of the birds fighting on our lawn below, squirrels clamoring in the branches above. I could easily get distracted and lose my focus, but I didn't. I don't.

Sitting in the lounge of Starkenburg floor on this beautiful fall day, I hear doors slamming, friends chatting, music blaring, and skateboards cruising down the sidewalk. But I don't care. All I have right at this very moment is peace. I feel completely at peace. I have soft piano playing on my laptop. I'm surrounded by books, papers, assignments, and writing utensils. I have so much I need to conquer. So many mountains to climb, hills to clamber over. But I don't care. I'm comfortable. I'm rested. I'm relaxed.

That doesn't mean I won't get anything done, though. I am simply enjoying this time of peace and quiet. The distractions are there, but I don't notice them. Today was a beautiful day. The leaves are changing, the air is turning crisp. And on top of it all, I know that even though I am alone right now, I am definitely not lonely. I have a family that misses me (at least they say they do!) and friends that enjoy my company. And knowing that, I can rest. I can slow down. I can think, I can dream, I can write. I am floating in peace. Lovely, lovely peace.

Welcome Home

Last night, a group of girls hosted a Women's Retreat for all the women on campus. It was a fantastic night of worship, prayer, games, food, laughter, and fellowship. After hearing some testimonies, we were given some quite time to reflect on our own stories. While flipping through my journal to find an empty page, I happened upon something I had written on the 25th of August, this year, just a few days after moving to Trinity. I thought I'd share it with you:)

"Trinity can be summed up in one word: community. A community is a place where you can feel accepted for you: your personality, your quirks, and your opinions. Sure, not everyone will get along perfectly all the time. We aren't perfect. This is part of growing up, I suppose. We learn to quit being silly, judgmental high-schoolers and become college kids who are hopefully a little less judgmental. On the note of silliness, however, I am happy to report that that gets even worse! :)

Back to community, we are here to support each other. We meet roommates, those on our hall, in our building, and in similar classes. And through them, as well as our hobbies, interests, and characteristics, we find our niche. Our place in this puzzle. Our spot on the gigantic map that is trinity. And that's what freshmen year is all about: finding our place. And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

I'm so glad I happened upon this because it proves to me that I have indeed come a long way in these, what, two months? I have hilarious friends, classes are actually fun sometimes, and I'm finding groups and categories that I enjoy being a part of. I'm thankful that I chose Trinity because the aspect of community is so important. I'm overjoyed and thankful to call this place my  home.

I don't even know what to call this.....

Sometimes society just makes me so mad.

Yahoo pops up because it's my homepage, and there's an article called "What's really in Chicken Nuggets." First of all, when I think of chicken nuggets, I think of McDonalds, and I'd rather not know what's in most things from McDonalds. I thought this was public knowledge, but apparently people still don't understand what really is in chicken nuggets. I don't know how many people have read this article or ones like it, but I don't understand the purpose of them. Is Yahoo trying to throw society into a frenzy? Are authors constantly trying to freak people out?

I feel like so much of what people think stems from the media. "Oh my goodness, Kim K tried this new face lift thingy? It must really work!" "Oh no, chicken nuggets are even worse for us than we thought? I'd better stop eating them!" Really people? Have we no true common sense left??? Celebrity endorsed items don't always work! And since when did we consider chicken nuggets even remotely healthy?

I guess I'm just annoyed that most juicy shared news of the day isn't always helpful, productive, or even worth sharing. Why do I care about when Miley Cyrus' "wild streak" began?

However, what does make me glad is seeing news about government, economics, and politics. These are the areas that most people seem either uninformed or misinformed about.

This was kind of a rant, I guess. I probably should stop getting so upset about chicken nuggets and such...