Your presence is a present to the world.
You’re truly one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be.
Take the days one at a time.
Count your blessings not your troubles.
You’ll make it through whatever comes along.
Within you are so many answers.
Have courage.
Be strong.
Wish upon a star, and don’t ever forget how special you are.
-I saw this on a note pad in the store and thought it was pretty good 
Ok so inspiration comes to me at the most random times and usually after 1AM. I was sitting here reading Approval Addiction By Joyce Meyer–which I will later be blogging on but I am only in chapter two, its one of those books you have to read the paragraph over and over till you get it!–but I was thinking about my beach day on Saturday and something I saw that inspired this blog.
As my cousin and I were swimming in the beautiful clear ocean we realized we were suddenly accompanied by some young “fishers”. Two little boys had their goggles on and were continuously diving in at any sight of the small fish swimming near us. Now my first thought was why do they keep trying they are never going to catch it. This in and of itself could be used as an analogy, childlike faith, but I want to further expand it…So I’m driving home from another beach day and those little boys just happen to come to mind yet again. So this time I was thinking, ok they keep trying to grab the fish with their bare hands, I being older than these young fishers know that is unreasonable and think why do they even try. I think, they have no chance of catching these fish in the ocean with their bare hands and besides, don’t they know its so much easier to go to the pet store and buy one?! Right then it hit me!
Why do we chase after the things of this world when what we are searching for; love, acceptance, happiness–is never going to be found. We will never catch the fishies with our bare hands! Am I such a child that I don’t understand that I can’t do this on my own? If I would only go to the pet shop there is all the fishies I could ever want! Do you see where I am going with this?
You may search high and low and try everything there is possible to make you happy here on the earth but the only way that will happen is if you go to God. Only He can truly satisfy us. Any other satisfaction is bound to slip away. Just like the little fish I keep chasing, thinking ONE DAY if I do this right, if I make new friends, once I go to college, if I could just be happier-life would be better, maybe I’ll catch the fish. And no matter how many times people tell me that happiness is not attainable on my own it takes something like this to show me. I am absolutely not saying that I will immediately stop chasing the things of this world because let’s be honest, its not easy running to God for satisfaction. But what I am saying is that I do realize that nothing on the earth will satisfy me other than Jesus Himself! So stop chasing the fishies and just go to the pet store, the fishy supply is abundant!
I know it may be a random thought or even a weird analogy but that is how my brain thinks and it just all came together so I thought maybe I’d write it down and see if it made sense to anyone else 
Do you ever find yourself wanting more out of life? Feeling like you are just living for the next day or living for the happy moment to come along? I have been like this way too much. I have been way to selfish lately only looking for what makes me happy and not caring how it this way of life effects the people around me. No one wants to be around someone who is always searching for happiness but missing the mark. Lately if no one has noticed I have been in quite the downer mood. Always depressed or sad or something, always creating drama. I do not like this way of life. Honestly it is quite exhausting. I am currently in the place where life is changing around me without my consent, but when does it ever ask my permission? Some friends going to college, some moving. College decisions, dual enrollment. I think this may possibly be the most stressful year of my life and it hasn’t even started yet!
So what in the world can you do when it feels like your world is crashing in? Well you could always turn to pouting around because life is not going the way you want, OR you can decide to be happy no matter what your situation. Would you rather sit around being depressed because life is uncertain and be a burden to your friends, or would you like to be the optimistic one who, although life isn’t going the way you would like, still looks for the positive in every situation?
It may not change over night but when it gets hard just remember, “Fake it till you make it!” You may not feel like being happy but if you act like you are eventually you actually will be. I am making the change, I will no longer look for the negative but instead look at how great I have it!
Ok so I think I have been avoiding this writing because I am not to good at getting my point across through words but it needs to be done
For the past seven weeks now I have seriously been thinking about life, but mostly about God in my life. For a while now I have kinda been “riding the fence” in my walk with God, really more leaning towards the world’s side than God’s. It just seemed like I had tried everything and it was too much of an effort to make when I couldn’t see the results! I didn’t stop believing that there was a God but I think I may have stopped believing IN Him, in His promises and in his love. I started to believe the devils lies; I am not good enough, I am not worthy to be called a Daughter of the most high, and no one cares about me. When I started struggling with this I had talked to my mentor about it and she told me that if I was not following God then I was following the devil because you can’t be just living for yourself and doing things on your own terms (I felt like my way was better than God’s since usually I could see a result in the way I did things whether it was good or not). This freaked me out a bit because although i wasn’t at the point that I wanted to follow God, I also did not want to follow the devil or have anything to do with him for that matter. But I still went on believing that I could just go to church and live the “Christian life” at church at least and not necessarily be too involved with God. I just gave up and in the mean while convinced myself that it was ok because I was still going to church and all. The truth is that doesn’t really work. You only cause yourself more pain by keeping God away longer.
Only recently have I discovered very relevant truth in God’s word that made me realize what was wrong with this way of life. For example when I was going through this phase of rejecting God I was also having issues with other relationships in my life. Sometimes I feel like I love people so much and would do anything for them but yet they don’t care about me at all or how their actions effect me- now just make this about your relationship between you and God. If anyone has seen Fireproof the father asks his son why he is so frustrated with his wife and he answers that she doesn’t respect him. He says, “How can I be expected to love someone over and over and over when all they do is reject me?” The father simply says to his son that this is the way God feels towards us. He loves us over and over again and is willing to forgive us every time we fall and yet we reject him every time.
Just during these past seven weeks I have been discovering God’s love for me all over again. First of all I am so thankful for the example of Christ in the life of Savannah Clark. If it weren’t for her who knows when I would have returned to Christ’s love! At her memorial service is when it really hit me. When Pastor Paul was speaking of how Savannah was such a lover of Jesus but yet she had let the back gate of her mind open to the lies of the devil it made me terribly sad and angry at the same time that the devil could attack such a beautiful and faithful one of Gods servants. I think how much she has made an impact on my life just by knowing what she was like and wonder how much more could God have done with her life? Then it made me think, I have been letting this same wretched devil put those same lies into my mind and I have the power to keep them out! I could only hope to be as great example of God’s love as Savannah was but all I know is that I will not let the devil win in my life. He did not win in Savannah’s life either. He meant this for evil but the Lord will turn it into good just as the bible tells us! Satan does not have the power to control us and we can not let him get into our heads! Like the verse the Brittany shared, Psalm 31:7-8-”I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but you have set me in a safe place.” God was with Savannah all along, through her pain and her trails he was right next to her hurting with her and for her. He did not turn her into the devils hand, he rescued her and put her in a safe place, heaven (which I think we all are pretty jealous and wish we could be there too =] ).
On Sunday morning Pastor Paul taught on the passage of 1 John 4:7-19 “He First Loved Us” Another point from the Fireproof movie was that you can’t give what you don’t have. A lie from the devil is that we are not loved, besides needing to give love we all need to BE LOVED. In verse 16 it says,”And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love, whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” In a world where being skinny, popular and pretty are on the minds of every teenage girl it is hard to see, but really deep down what every girl wants is to be loved. The thing is that when we understand God’s love for us then we shouldn’t strive to find love in the world through these things. Because God’s love drives out fear, then we should not fear people and when we don’t fear them or what they think of us then there is no longer any reason for us to compete with them!
Before when I mentioned that during my time away from God I was having relationship problems it occured to me after this realization of Gods love that it is SO much easier to lover other people when you love God first. For instance when you live close to God you will find that your love for others is always increasing.In these past weeks I have found myself showing kindness to people who I could not bear to be near for more than 5 minutes! To me that shows how God’s love is working through my heart because I know I can’t love those difficult people on my own!
One of the things I questioned after Savannah’s death was how can I feel like I have a purpose if someone who was so close to Christ was in such a desperate need to get out of here? What is MY purpose in this world if she couldn’t even find purpose because I am the one who turned from God, not her! BUT God showed me that THESE are the lies of the devil…he is trying to tell me that I am WORTHLESS and NO GOOD. I can not be fixed I am a LOST CAUSE. God tells me that he has a PURPOSE for my life and although I am nothing but a filthy rag His love covers my dirt and shame and if onlly I will return to him then He will show me how much he loves me and cherishes me and does not want me to listen to the devil!
I don’t really have a final thought to end this just because I have so many thoughts on this but not enough time to write but I wanted to get this out there….so I guess I would like to end with the letter that they gave out at Savannah’s service written by Savannah. The one about God’s love!
FROM:Savannah
Isaiah 54:7-For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. In a moment of anger, I turned my face away for a little while, but with an everlasting love I will have compassion on you says the Lord your REDEEMER.
I know you think God left you & might have given up on you. I was there and that same thing…But I was you to know that God is calling out your name. He wants you back. He misses you. He will never give up on you and neither will I.
AND ALSO
Ephesians 3:18-And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how dee HIS love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
John 10:10-The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all it’s fullness.
Last verse – I promise
Hosea 14:4-And my love will know no bounds!
Joel 2:12-13- Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful, He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and eager not to punish you.
God loves YOU…Cry out to HIm. He hears you.
Love, Savannah
Please if you have turned and run from God come back…He is waiting with arms open wide to embrace you in His love. And though it is a rough journey back he will reveal his love to you every day!
Thank you Savannah for showing me how REAL God’s love is! I wish I could have got to know you better but I can’t wait to get to know you in Heaven!
The Pursuit of Happiness Essay
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
“1-3 I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.
What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane!
My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?
With the help of a bottle of wine
and all the wisdom I could muster,
I tried my level best
to penetrate the absurdity of life.
I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do
during the years we spend on this earth.
4-8 Oh, I did great things: built houses,
planted vineyards,
designed gardens and parks
and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,
made pools of water
to irrigate the groves of trees.
I bought slaves, male and female,
who had children, giving me even more slaves;
then I acquired large herds and flocks,
larger than any before me in Jerusalem.
I piled up silver and gold,
loot from kings and kingdoms.
I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,
and—most exquisite of all pleasures—
voluptuous maidens for my bed.
9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!
11 Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.”
In the Declaration of Independence, a document inscribed by the founding fathers of our country, it states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” What did the pursuit of happiness mean to these founding fathers? Was this happiness they spoke of different than todays worldly definition of happiness? It is all in the way you view happiness. Is happiness buying a new car or welcoming a new family member into the world? I’m sure our views on happiness have changed since 1776 when the Declaration was written. There is a quote that states, “The pursuit of happiness is the most ridiculous phrase: if you pursue happiness you will not find it.”-Carrie P. Snow. Is it not true that where we go looking for happiness we will not find it but instead it will be found in places we did not expect? If we pursue happiness it is a vain effort.
In the above passage from the bible the author is retelling of his bout with pleasure or “pursuit of happiness”. He describes how his life was all about finding out “what we mortals can do during the years we spend on this earth.” That is what most people would describe the pursuit of happiness to be, discovering all the pleasures that are out in the world for us to experience. But wait, he goes on. He tells of how he had everything, he built houses, had vineyards and gardens, servants and cattle, everything a man could ask for. But yet he was not satisfied. He said when he looked at all he had accomplished and gained in his so called prosperous years in his life were as “smoke and spitting into the wind”, nothing. He had everything yet he had nothing. Think about it in terms of our culture now. Is there ever a point where someone could say that wealth and material items can satisfy them completely?
The author of this passage use smoke as a simile to show that his happiness was only an illusion. The happiness seemed to be there when he gained possessions but when he finally came to the end of his pursuit he realized that he wasn’t happy after all and the happiness he felt was only superficial. This is true in many lives today. We see something, we want it, we think it will make life so much happier if only we had that one thing, but once we have it we realize it really does not make us any happier than we were before. Our efforts are all in vain. Obviously the author of the passage found that out the hard way. Just like the previous quote mentioned, you can not pursue happiness, it just does not work that way! Another insightful quote says,”Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” Whether or not you agree with the “spiritual experience” issue or not there should be some agreement that true happiness can not be based on material items but rather things like love, grace and gratitude.
So what is happiness? Happiness is displayed in many different ways and sometimes through things we would not expect. Happiness is love, joy and peace. Happiness is being satisfied with what you have and not having the continual desire for more. Happiness can not be pursued by our power alone. It is only through a relationship with the Creator, that which the Declaration spoke of, that we may find the answer to our pursuit and finally find happiness.
